Gravity Of Love
by JacktheSinister JaketheJust
Summary: Roman left for Iowa to start his life over and in doing so, he severed most of his ties to the people in Pensacola. Now that he's going back for the holidays will things be the way he left them or will the feelings he thought he left behind still be there? Sequel to Casualty Of Love
1. A New Beginning

******Disclaimer: I do not own anything. ****This is a work of complete fiction.** As for the characters mentioned, this story does not depict their own personal feelings, thoughts, or ideas. Each character belongs to their rightful owners; themselves and the WWE  


******Note: Hello everyone! This is the anticipated sequel to Casualty of Love. It is titled Gravity Of Love and I sincerely hope that you enjoy it! Also, today is a very important/special day to me. It's my 23rd birthday! So, as my birthday gift, I give you chapter 1! Enjoy loves! -JJ**

* * *

_**A New Beginning**_

Roman's eyes squeezed tighter together before they slowly opened, taking in the early morning light. He groaned, rolling to his side and yanking the covers over his head. He didn't want to get up. He heard his phone alarm in the front room of his apartment and he growled in frustration, throwing the blankets back and getting up. He looked around his small one bedroom apartment as he walked through it, thinking it wasn't exactly how it had looked on the website, then again, what apartment ever did.

He couldn't complain: it was decent, small but tastefully done. And the price was fairly cheap compared to the amenities that came with it. All his utilities were included in his rent with free cable and Internet and he even got his own parking space in an underground garage. Not to mention the gym, pool, and lounge house filled with pool tables and sofas and a snack bar. It wasn't home, but it would do. It had to do.

He grabbed for his phone on top of the television, turning the alarm off and groaning. He looked at the time before tossing his phone on the couch and walking back into his room to get dressed. He had to get ready to go into his office and set things up. He'd been there for a month but they hadn't had a spot for him until one of the other professor retired.

He tugged on the clothes he'd laid out the night before, a pair of straight legged black jeans, a black tank top with a white long sleeved button up, which he left completely open. He wasn't completely sure on the tattoo policy at his new university, sure that he could ask as soon as he got there.

He didn't take much time after tugging on some socks and a pair of sneakers to grab his box of things and head to the door. After checking to make sure he had his keys he locked the door and walked out.

"Oi Fella!"

Roman stopped, turning his head to meet the smiling face of his neighbor. "Hello Shea," he answered, watching as the tall Irish man walked over, his flaming red hair half covered by his hat. "No work today?"

The Irishman shook his head, smiling a wide toothy grin. "Not today. Where ye off to so early?" he asked, looking down at the box in Roman's hands. He stood there, almost as tall as Roman, his body a little broader but his skin so fair. His mustache ran down to his beard before sliding up the line of his jaw to connect with his sideburns, also a bright red.

"I have to set my office up at the University. They finally have an office open," Roman explained, looking down into his box before looking back up to green eyes. "You gonna be home later? The game's gonna be on tonight if your up for some pizza."

Shea took a moment to think, before he smiled and nodded. "Yeah, but I'll come to yer place. I have a _friend _coming by," he said with a growing smile, one eye brow rising. "Say 'bout seven?"

Roman shook his head, trying to contain his chuckle. "Seven's fine. I'll see you later." He heard Shea's quick goodbye before he started down the hall way to his SUV, smiling. He liked his neighbor a lot. He'd met him the day he moved in, two beautiful ladies leaving the apartment smiling brightly. It didn't take long for them to hit it off and a close friendship sparked between them.

His real name was Stephen but because of being from Ireland, Roman always wanted to call him Sheamus but settled on Shea instead. The Irishman didn't seem to mind. He had learned that Shea was a bit of a ladies man, always with a new girl every night or so and with the walls so thin, he could hear them if he decided to leave the television off. They'd spent at least one night a week at one place or the other watching either soccer or football and chatting.

Roman had found it easy to open up to Shea, his personality a good mix between Seth's friendliness and gentle nature and Dean's rugged toughness. He couldn't say he didn't like it, because it gave him a little taste of home without actually calling.

He sighed as he walked down the stairs, thinking of home. He hadn't heard from anyone other than his parents in that month. He'd changed his number and refused to give it to anyone but them and he'd made his mother promise not to give it to Seth or Dean, knowing that they would give it to Cody.

As much as it had hurt completely cutting the other man out, he couldn't say he regretted it. He'd told Cody before that he was leaving and starting over and for him to fully do that he had to start fresh. He sighed again, finding his SUV and holding his box in one hand as he dug for his keys and unlocked it. He pushed the box into the back hatch and shut everything before he got into the driver's seat and started it up.

He inhaled deeply, looking at the passenger seat. He could still see Cody sitting there, the last words that had passed between them, the final touch of their hands. He jerked his gaze away, telling himself that it was over. This was what he'd wanted. He turned to watch as he backed out and started away, forcing himself to remember that he was going to meet his new office mate and co-workers.

* * *

Roman was frustrated by the time he'd found his office. He'd gotten lost on the campus for over an hour attempting to find the right wing and the right floor. He bumped open the already ajar door, growling as he slammed his box down on the empty desk.

"Well, they didn't tell me you were so aggressive."

Roman's eyes widened as he turned to the right and saw the ebony skinned man sitting in at the desk next to his. "I'm sorry," he answered, standing up straight and looking over the smiling face, taking in the various peircings, two in the other man's left eye brow, two small studs in the right side of his nose, his labret, not to mention both of his conches, and two silver hoops in each lobe. "You can have those here?"

The man only smiled, running a hand over his cornrows "Yeah, you hiding something? Cuz it's pretty damn hot to be wearing a long sleeved shirt," he commented, chuckling when Roman shrugged off the shirt, showing his intricate tribal sleeve. "Damn man, look at that, how many hours you spend in the chair for that?"

Roman smirked. "More than I want to admit to. "Roman Reigns by the way. I just transferred from UWF in Pensacola," he introduced, offering his hand. He smiled when the other man stood and took it, giving him a firm but friendly handshake.

"Ron Killings, nice to meet ya. I hope you're better than my last one. Spent ten years in here almost with that asshole," he explained, chuckling. "So, if you don't mind, why did you leave Florida for Iowa? You do realize that it's shitty here in the winter with all the snow and stuff."

"Oh, I have an idea. One of my friends down there has family that lives in Davenport, he used to visit every few Christmas's and ended up getting stuck because of the weather a couple times," Roman explained smiling. He already felt comfortable with his new office mate. It was nice. "I needed a change of pace. I've lived there my entire life."

Ron shrugged, pursing his lips together. "I can understand that, but man, all that sun for fields. I think you made a mistake," he laughed, smiling wide. "But naw, welcome to UI. So you're the new philosophy professor. Some of the guys are gonna love to pick your brain."

Roman stood there, almost uncertain about that idea of the others questioning him. He smiled back, carrying on light conversation with Ron as he unpacked his things and started setting them up. He paused when he reached the middle of the box, his hands wrapping around the black metal frame.

"You okay?" Ron asked, standing up from his desk and walking over. He looked down at the photo, looking back up into Roman's somber face. He looked back down at the frame, taking in the smiling faces of Roman and Cody. He could see the beach in the background, both shirtless and wearing board shorts. "A friend back in Florida?"

Roman shook his head, sighing. "He's my ex," he murmured, taking the photo out and laying it facedown on his desk so he could continue. He could feel Ron holding back building questions. He turned, seeing the slight surprise in Ron's face. "Do you have a problem?"

Ron held his hands up in defense. "Nope, I don't judge. You guys just look so happy, that's all. It's weird to hear about people breaking up when they look that happy and you sound so depressed over it," he explained, cocking his head to the side.

Roman nodded, looking back down into his box. "It's a long story. You probably have better things to do than listen to me," he answered, pulling out a few more books. He heard the chuckle next to him. He looked up ready to say something only to see that Ron was sitting in his chair, leaning back with one ankle on the opposite knee.

"Boy, I got all day. My wife's on a warpath over our oldest son bombing his last math test. I got _all_ day," he laughed, resting his hands behind his head. "I don't mind. We're going to be spending a lot of time here, might as well get to know each other a bit. I'm sure you'll know more about me than you want to by the end of the school year anyway."

Roman nodded, smiling slightly. Yeah, he'd grown pretty close to Brad over the years too, long before any kind of real romantic interest had started. He took a deep breath, letting it out before he started his story of how him and Cody were together and the accident. He abridged the story easily, leaving out the more personal parts of him and Cody but still showing that his love hadn't changed. "So after everything, I thought it would be better to just leave. I've had the offer to come up here for a while anyway," he finished, heart pounding to let someone else into his world.

Ron sat there in more than a little shock. "Man, that's pretty shitty," he answered, sitting up and resting his hands on his legs. "You called home to see how he's doing or anything?"

Roman shook his head. "I changed my number so he couldn't. None of my friends have it, just my parents because they're the only ones that won't give it out. It sounds callous, I know but it's hard enough not to think about him, all he'd have to do is call me up and ask me to come home and I'd been on the next plane out."

Ron gave a soft, sympathetic smile. "Love's vicious isn't it?"

Roman only nodded, returning to his task of unpacking, his and Ron's conversation returning to more lighthearted topics like the weather and where Ron was from. He'd learned that Ron had moved out to Iowa from North Carolina to help his brother out when his wife had left him and had met his current wife and had been stuck ever since. He learned that Ron had two sons, aged seventeen and fourteen and two girls, one twelve and one eight, two Rottweilers; sisters named Cocoa and Sassy, both "Giant pansy asses" in Ron's words and then a cat named Krush that they'd found near dead on the highway two summers before that his youngest daughter had fallen in love with and nursed back to health.

He smiled, thinking that him and Ron would really turn out to be good friends. They clicked well and already they were joking around and throwing little jabs at the other, mostly about Roman's apparent neatness and Ron's more sloppy approach at decorating and desk organization.

"Well, it's good to see that you're getting along so well," a woman said, her smile bright as she poked her head into the office. "You must be the new guy." Her smiled brightened as she stepped in, showing her pencil skirt and blue blouse, a pair of wedge heels on her feet. She was nicely tanned, her hair raven and curled lightly, it bouncing with each step she took. Her lips were painted a bright red, only lightening her entire face up. "I'm Melina Perez, I teach women's literature in the C wing. I'm sure I'll see you a lot down there."

"Roman Reigns," Roman answered, nodding and shaking her hand. He could tell already that she was a feisty one, one that didn't take shit off anybody but was truly sweet and easy going.

"Now, Roman, I need to warn you, Ron here likes to try and steal significant others. Be careful at parties and functions with alcohol," she laughed, earning a shocked look from the skinned man. "Your girlfriend wouldn't be safe."

"Now, before you believe her, let me explain what happened. I know her fiancée John. We were out drinking one night, came back to his place and I passed out on the floor in his living room. I don't know how but the next morning Melina woke us up and we were smashed up against each other. It wasn't anything serious," Ron explained, hurrying to give an explanation.

"Uh-huh," Melina teased some more, crossing her arms over her supple breasts and cocking her hip to one side. "Yeah, I believe you."

Roman tried to hold back the laughter, remembering too many times that him and Seth had ended up snuggled up together in a bed after a night of heavy drinking. "It's okay, I've had similar happen with one of my best friends back home," he voiced, his smile starting to fade as he thought of Seth and Dean and how much he missed them. He'd gotten a couple emails from Seth in the last month but it just wasn't the same as hearing his voice.

"Oh, honey, did I say something wrong? I was only teasing Ron," Melina said, her playful tone dropping into concern. "We've been friends for years, this is just how we are." She reached out and rested a hand on Roman's tattooed arm.

"No, it's not you. Just thinking about some of my friends back in Florida is all," he answered, smiling as he looked up at her again. "I kinda miss them. Ya know?"

Melina smiled, nodding. "I understand. Some of my best girlfriends moved out to Arizona when I moved out here. We all had plans to go to Hollywood together when we were in high school."

Roman nodded, taking comfort in the woman's words. He looked over at Ron, finding a smile on his face as well. He knew he was going to enjoy Iowa; he'd already made three friends. As long as he didn't spent too much time thinking about Florida, he wouldn't be reminded of Seth or Dean, and as long as he didn't think about Cody at all, he'd make it just fine.

* * *

Grey eyes were dropping as Roman continued to stare at the computer screen. He was filling out his course work schedule and working on some lecture notes, ready for the school year to begin that next month. He figured the sooner his classes started, the less time he'd have to think about anything other than teaching. It was going to be his outlet. He paused, sitting up straight on the couch and rubbed his face, feeling a couple of his vertebrae crack.

He looked at the corner of his screen, finding that he'd been at this for the better part of two hours. Groaning, he stood, dropping his hands from his tired face as he paced around the room a couple times, trying to wake up so he could finish.

It wasn't late in the night, only around nine, but he felt like he'd been up all night working. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his gym shorts, wondering if it would be too late to run next door and ask Shea for some company. He nodded, deciding that a little break wouldn't be too bad.

Roman didn't take long to pull on a t-shirt and a pair of flip flops before he walked out of his apartment, keys safely in his pocket, and walked just next door to Shea's and knocked. He only had to wait a moment before the door was opened. "Hey Shea, you busy?" he asked, smiling at that slightly messy hair of the other man. "Or am I interrupting?"

Shea shook his head, yawning widely. "Naw, just fell asleep on me couch is all," he murmured, his Irish accent even thicker as it laced with sleep. "What time is it?" He led Roman in, showing his apartment, the walls a nice light blue color with dark hardwood floors. They walked through the small kitchenette into Shea's living room.

Roman could see where Shea had fallen asleep on the couch, a blanket left in a heap at the foot. "I figured you'd have someone to keep you up tonight," he joked, sitting across from the couch in the matching blue suede recliner. He watched Shea stretch upwards, his shirt lifting just enough to show a small sliver of pearly white skin. He shook his head, wondering how someone could stay so fair skinned.

"Not tonight. Too much to do tomorrow," Shea answered, walking back into the kitchen and getting into the fridge. He grabbed two bottles before walking back in and flopping down on his couch. He tossed one of the clear bottles to Roman. "Still no visitors to your place either."

Roman shook his head, cracking open the bottled water and taking a drink. "Not much time to worry about stuff like that," he answered, shrugging. Honestly, he wasn't even thinking about trying to get into the dating scene. He still had a long way to go before he was over Cody. "What do you even do anyway Shea? It's been two months since I moved and I see women come here all the time."

Shea smiled, downing half of his bottle of water before scratching the top of his head. "I'm a director of a daycare," he answered, looking up. "What can I say, the ladies love a man who likes kids." He saw the look of shock on Roman's face and couldn't help but laugh a little harder.

"You're kidding me?" Roman asked, completely serious. Out of every profession in the world, he would have never thought that Shea worked with kids. Not to mention how young most of the women he brought home really looked.

"Not all of them are mums, some are just friends looking for a good time," Shea said, only laughing harder at the way Roman's eyes seemed to widen even further. He bit his lower lip, enjoying the shock.

Roman shook his head, completely stunned. He looked down at his hands around the water bottle, wondering what he should say next. He didn't feel awkward, just a little out of his element.

"Ye know, yer pretty uptight lately. I know a couple girls that could take care of that for ye," Shea teased, watching as Roman hid his face behind one hand as the other man let out a chuckle. "Just say the word."

"No, I'm okay, thanks though," Roman answered, shaking his head as his hand dropped back down to his lap. "I'm not looking for anything like that right now."

"I do know a few men," Shea pushed out, wondering if Roman would take the bait. He smiled when Roman's eyes looked right into his. "I've seen the pictures on yer walls Roman. I know ye didn't just decide to move up here for nothing." He let out a low breath. "I won't ask too many questions but ye can't let it consume ye. What's 'is name?"

Roman sighed, leaning back in the chair, thinking over the conversation him and Shea were going to have. "Cody," he finally answered after taking a drink from his bottle. "Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do here, but I'm not ready for all that."

Shea shrugged. "I have someone in mind that ye'll like, at least give it a try," he encouraged, tipping his head to the side, widening his eyes as he looked over the other man's face. "If it doesn't work, I won't say anything else, ever. What do ye have to lose?"

Roman chuckled, nodding. It was true, he didn't have anything to lose. "No kids right?" he asked, not against the idea of trying something with someone with kids but not wanting to put himself in that kind of situation yet.

"Naw, no kids. I do know people without them," Shea answered, finishing his bottle of water and capping it, putting the empty bottle on his coffee table. "So, ye eat yet? I fell asleep a couple hours ago and I'm starving." He chuckled, Roman joining him.

* * *

Roman hummed as he sat back down at his computer, his head cleared and ready to get back to work. He'd spent more than enough time over at Shea's just shooting the breeze and joking around. They had decided on ordering a pizza, on Shea's dime this time around, only after arguing of the best toppings. It was playful of course.

He smiled as he opened up his internet and scurried around the net for just a few minutes before he decided to buckle down at get to work. His thoughts didn't leave just how comfortable Shea made him feel, it was really like he was home with Seth, just without the same kind of physical affection him and Seth had always shared.

Roman shrugged, pushing the other man from his mind as he opened his email. His heart stopped in his chest, a few new emails sitting there waiting for him to read. Grey eyes looked over the names, one more from Seth, one from Brad, and the very last one, the one sitting at the top of his box was from Cody himself. He swallowed, swiping his finger over the mouse pad, deciding that he needed to read the other two.

He skimmed the paragraphs from Seth, smiling at how he could hear Seth's voice ringing in his ears, some of the email playful and complete curious about his life, and part of it he scolding him for changing his number and not letting him know. How things were a bit different at home and how him and Dean missed him and wanted him to come visit. Roman finished it and clicked back to his inbox, clicking on the one from Brad.

He was a little curious as to why Brad would be emailing him, since he had given him his new number. Once he read the email, he knew. Brad had lost his number when he'd gone on a sudden, unexpected swim with a couple friends right into the ocean. He couldn't help but chuckle, the rest of the message just telling him that Brad missed him and that he'd gotten a new office mate, although this guy was quiet and not as much fun to talk to as him. Roman couldn't help but feel a little flattered. He was thankful that Brad didn't mention anything what had happened between them.

His fingers began to tremble when the cursor landed on Cody's email, his eyes narrowing at the text. He sighed, leaning back against his couch and dropping his hands to his sides. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to read what Cody had to say to him. He had left kind of abruptly but deep down he'd hoped that Cody would chase him, at least try to stop him. He shook his head, thinking that it was a stupid thought. Him and Cody weren't like they had been. Cody had changed and they only seemed to hurt the other. He'd left for those reasons.

He just stared at the name, his jaw tightening. He wanted to read it, but at the same time he didn't. He knew if it said anything about calling he would, and he'd only be shooting himself in the foot. He'd decided that night before he left that whatever happened between him and Cody was the end, that he was going to let it all go completely. He sighed, clicking on the box next to Cody's name and marking it as read. At that moment he didn't have the strength or willpower to delete it.

Roman groaned, shutting the lid of his laptop before he stood and walked over to the light and flipped it off. His good mood had been ruined and he knew he wouldn't be able to focus if he tried working on his lessons now and he really didn't want to have to go back and fix them. He walked into his bedroom, pulling off his shirt and pushing his jeans off before he crawled into his bed and pulled the covers over his shoulder. He'd try again tomorrow.

* * *

(A/N): Alright everyone, welcome to the first chapter of Gravity Of Love, the sequel to Casualty Of Love. If you haven't read Casualty of Love, there is a strong possibility that this story won't make sense. So with that said, I hope you guys like it. I know that I'm excited to get this going. I always enjoy your thoughts! Onwards and upwards loves! The Title of the story is Gravity Of Love by Enigma. Chapter titles is A New Beginning by Good Charlotte.

JacktheSinister_JaketheJust


	2. Moving On

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.**

**Note: So a little information for everyone. I will only be updating once a week this time around, my schedule is too packed for much more than that and while I'd love to update more often, I gotta sleep sometime. Also, there are accents, I have never written accents before so I apologize if they don't seem right. I'm testing the waters here so bear with me. Haha. And, holy cow guys! I was so overwhelmed with everyone's excitement for this story, like seriously, I was in tears looking through my email and all the wonderful reviews! (And thank you for all the birthday wishes! They mean so much to me!) Last, but not least, if you are interested in sneak peeks, random ramblings, and just some Shield yumminess, I am on tumblr! Look me up under the same name without the spaces. (jackthesinisterjakethejust) So, enough of my ramblings! See you Monday! Enjoy! -JJ**

* * *

_**Moving On**_

Roman groaned as he pressed his face into his grade book on his desk, grumbling about how much he hated this kid in his class for constantly missing and handing in assignments half finished. "I'm a fucking college professor, this isn't high school…" he went on quietly, sitting upright when he felt a hand on his shoulder. His grey eyes met amused browns. "Hey Ron."

"You okay down there?" Ron asked, chuckling as he moved to sit at his desk, setting his own set of books down and slouching down. "Long day already, and it's only lunch time."

"I feel ya," Roman blew out, looking up at the clock above the door. "Hey, you think Vlad and Mel are down in the cafeteria?" He looked over at Ron's raise brow. "Hey, I'm hungry. And cafeteria food is better than being late to my afternoon class, if I don't fail all of them."

Ron only laughed out loud, standing and tossing his head towards the door. "Yeah, I'm sure they're already down there talking trash about us," he added, allowing Roman to leave the room first before he locked the door and followed along side Roman. "You hear about John?"

Roman shook his head, looking down into the amused face. "What happened?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"He finally got the balls to ask Melina to marry him," he announced, smirking. "He got her this huge rock, like you can't miss it. So, I was thinking that since you didn't already know, you shouldn't say anything about it, cuz you know she's gonna be showing that mug off."

Roman chuckled, nodding. Yeah he could handle playing dumb for a little while. "I got ya," he said, turning the corner into the noisy cafeteria. He saw the two he was looking for off to the side, Melina wearing a dark red short sleeved blouse with black slacks and sling back heels sitting next to the tall Russian man, his hair shaved into a slightly grown out military buzz, his face hard even with the small smile on his lips. He was broad shouldered and taller than Roman, but once you got past his rough exterior he was a nice, sweet person.

Ron led Roman into the lunch area, Roman grabbing a premade salad and an organic juice. Ron grabbed a stack of fries and a burger.

"That shit's gonna clog up your arteries," Roman teased, suddenly thinking about Jay. He wondered how he was doing. He'd text him the week before asking, a conversation that had kept him up for most of the night and making him late the next morning.

"At least I'll die happy," Ron retorted laughing as they paid for their lunches and walked over to their friends. He pulled out his chair and sat down, leaning over and looking at Melina's phone as she tapped away happily at it. "Tell John I say hello and I miss his ass."

Melina looked over, her smile fading into predatory grin. "That's not all you'll be missing," she went on, looking over to see Roman open his salad and start nibbling. "Rabbit food again Rome?"

Roman smiled, shrugging. "Better than fries and deep fried cheese sticks," he retorted playfully.

"I happen to like those thank you," Melina cut in, returning her attention to her phone. "John says hello everyone. And he says he has your CD from the other day Ron."

"So, Vladimir, hows classes going for you? Midterms are up next week, you think you'll have a class left?" Ron asked, looking over at the Russian native. He saw the smile smirk on the thin lips.

"Not many vill pass," he spoke, his native tongue still heavy in his everyday conversation. "They are not taking it seriously." He looked over at Roman, smiling a little wider. "Your classes better?"

Roman shrugged. "You know, some kids just don't care. I thought things would be a little different here than in Florida but I guess not," he mumbled, popping open his juice and taking a drink. "How's the lady of the house?"

Vladimir only smiled wider, looking down at his homemade lunch. "She's vell," he murmured, unable to push back the happiness he felt when he thought about his beautiful fiancée at home. "Her arraignments are looking better every day."

"She works at a flower shop right?" Roman asked. He'd only heard about the Russian's fiancée a couple times, the other man very quiet about his personal life. "She'll have to help me pick out a set of flowers here soon."

Melina and Ron both stopped and looked at Roman, their brows raised in curiosity. They gave the other a look before they shot a look at Roman's suddenly frozen look of uneasiness.

"Well, look at you lover boy! Who caught your eye now?" Melina asked, teasingly, watching as Roman busied himself with his phone. "You got a picture? Is it a handsome man? Or did you finally meet a girl pretty enough for your standards?" She was trying to look of Ron at Roman's phone, watching as a blush crept up Roman's neck from under his short sleeved shirt. "Aw, spill Roman!"

Vladimir was the one to cut the conversation off, lightly slamming his hand down on the table, giving both Ron and Melina a look of warning. "If Roman vants to tell us, he vill," he said gently, casting a look over at Roman's thankful features. "He just got here, let him settle."

"Thanks Vladimir," Roman said a moment later, looking up from his message. "It's just someone my neighbor set me up with. Nothing serious or anything," he explained, shaking his head at the look of disappointment on Melina's face. "I'll let you know if it ever gets further than that."

"Promise?" Melina asked.

"Promise," Roman confirmed laughing at the way she twirled her new engagement ring around her left ring finger. He caught a glance at it, finding that it really was huge, before he ignored it completely, remembering his and Ron's plan to see how far they could push her buttons. He didn't last long, her obvious flaunting, wanting to talk about it making him bust out laughing with in the next ten minutes before asking her how he'd done it.

He smiled outwardly, listening to the story with interest. He'd met John once a couple weeks prior and he'd thought he was a great guy both in looks and personality. Him and Melina complimented each other in every way but left that little bit of room so they could have the usual spats between lovers.

He found himself losing focus part way through the story, thinking about how he'd been sitting in his living room at Christmas looking down at the ring that had been meant for Cody. His mind flashed to the night before he left where he'd seen in hanging around Cody's neck, gleaming in perfect condition and almost taunting him. He forced the smile to stay on his lips as he tried to push those thoughts away.

He was doing well to keep Cody off his mind. There were times he would go days without a single thought about what he'd left behind in Florida. He'd gotten comfortable in Iowa, he'd made friends, good friends that he'd bonded with and now he was looking at the prospect of possibly seriously dating again, something he was sure he wouldn't be able to do for a long time.

Melina finished up her romantic night of how John had proposed with a smile, looking down at her ring. "So we're going to get married next summer, and I expect all of you to be there, wives and significant others included!" she huffed, looking across at Roman. "And I want all the nitty gritty details about your dates mister!"

Roman only smiled, agreeing.

* * *

Roman was laying back on his couch, his laptop propped up on his stomach, his eyes focused on the instant message window. He was talking with Brad, the other man going on once again about he hated his new office mate. He could only laugh, wondering how things back at UWF were. He missed it there. He missed the ocean, the salty air. He groaned, sitting up and looking down at the message Brad had sent him back, replying quickly. He sat up when he heard the knock at the door. He closed the lid and walked over to the door, pulling it open to find Shea standing there with two bottles of Guinness in his hand. "Are we celebrating?" he asked, almost laughing at the goofy look on Shea's face.

"Something like that fella," Shea said, walking into Roman's apartment and heading straight over to the couch. "C'mon, I heard all about yer date with Max. Such a gentleman, opening the door and politely leaving at the end." He was teasing his neighbor mercilessly and loving it. "C'mon, so what did ye really think?"

Roman smiled, thinking over his date the night before. He really had enjoyed himself, the conversation taking off easily and both laughing and having a good time. "It was fun," he admitted, looking up into Shea's knowing face.

"Second date?"

Roman couldn't help but smile. "Maybe," he teased, laughing at the way Shea rolled his eyes before taking and popping the tops off both beers, handing one to Roman before taking a drink. "So is that the only reason you came over here, to pump me for information?"

Shea laughed, shaking his head. "Naw, it's yer night for the game and I'm free so I'm here to be entertained and fed," he said, sitting down next to Roman's lap top. "Ye've never told me anything about Florida. What's it like down there?"

Roman took a swig of the bitter liquid, thinking that he missed his weaker beers. He wasn't used to the bold taste of the import but he knew that it was the only beer Shea would drink. "So, I'm cooking and we're talking about Florida? What happened to the game?"

Shea shrugged, chucking as he watched Roman move around his kitchen pulling out some fish, knowing that Shea would come in and help if he asked. "So in Ireland, they eat a lot of fish," he started, listening to the groaning of his sofa as Shea got up and walked over to the bar that separated the kitchen from the living room. "One of these days you're going to have to make me a full Irish meal."

"I don't even do that for me girlfriends," Shea teased, leaning forward on the bar and watching as Roman went to cutting the fresh fish up as he pleased. "Where'd ye learn to cook like this anyway? Florida isn't that great."

Roman laughed at that. "No, my dad's from the Samoan Islands. It's a group of islands in the south pacific. Him and his brother moved here when they were young and started up a good business. He taught me how to make most of these meals," he explained, grabbing a pan from his lower cabinets and setting the fish inside.

"So yer pretty close with your parents," Shea brought up, watching as Roman instantly stopped. "Am I over stepping?"

Roman shook his head. He hadn't spoken to his father directly since he'd left Florida. What he'd heard was just passed on through his mother. "No, my father and I used to be really close," he started, his hands starting to shake. "After…."

"Ye don't have to tell me fella, really," Shea interjected after a moment's pause. "We all have some things we don't want to talk about. I understand." He looked up into the grey eyes, seeing the pain that was locked tightly there.

"It's fine. My father and I fell out after Cody and I started seriously dating," he said, looking back down at his fish. "We haven't spoken since I left. I know that he's happy that we aren't together anymore but I'm still bitter."

Shea nodded, cocking his head to the side as he took a swig. "So, he was mad about ye dating another guy?" he asked, wondering if he really was over stepping his bounds as a friend.

Roman smiled, turning his oven on. He lightly seasoned the fish before pouring in a little water. "Not quite. He never had a problem with my other boyfriends, just Cody. Probably because we were serious. He was the one for me and I wanted to spend my life with him," he went on, making sure the fish was perfect before he put it in the oven. He saw the confused look on Shea's face and he knew the next set of questions that were going to be asked.

Shea thought hard on how he wanted to phrase everything. "So, why are ye up here?" he finally queried, taking another drink of his beer. "You still have his pictures up, so there's got to be something there."

Roman shook his head going into the entire story of the accident and the aftermath that had led him up to where he'd moved out to Iowa. He didn't leave out any details, knowing that he could trust Shea with the whole story.

Shea sat there, wide eyed as he listened, taking in every detail. "Shit!" he cursed at the end, looking down at his hands. "That's a lot. So ye haven't spoken?"

Roman shook his head, leaning back against the counter. "I don't see the reason to."

"That's a bit selfish, don't ye think? Ye just left him hanging there," Shea started, earning a dark look. "I'm just giving me opinion. What if he's remembered everything and wants to reconcile? I've never been in love like that, but fella, it sounds like he's holding back a lot from ye too."

Roman only shrugged. He didn't want to think about things like that. He just wanted to move on and live his life. "It doesn't matter anymore. It's all in the past. So, that blond you had over the other night," he started, changing the direction of their conversation and placing the focus on Shea and his latest _visitor._ He was thankful that Shea followed and dropped the conversation about Cody and Florida.

* * *

The months went by quicker than Roman knew what to do with them. Soon the hot, muggy summer had faded into a cool, crisp fall and winter was fast approaching. He'd spent Thanksgiving with Shea, both sitting back with a case of beer and their own little feast of hot wings, frozen pizza, and a traditional dessert from each culture watching the football game. He'd enjoyed it, but that night he laid there alone in his bed thinking about how much he'd missed being home with his family. He knew they'd all probably gathered at his mom and dad's to celebrate with all kinds of food and desserts. The kids had probably ran all over the house wrestling and playing football in the yard before passing out for an afternoon nap along with half of the adults in the living room that were watching the game.

December was fast approaching and so were finals. Roman was rushing to get them ready before he figured out what he was doing for the holidays. He knew he'd be alone if he stayed in Iowa, Shea already making plans to fly back to Ireland to spend it with his mother and father.

He sighed, sitting at his desk at UI. He was tapping the eraser end of his pencil on his grade book as he thought. He weighed the options of going home and seeing everyone but at the same time he still didn't feel ready. He'd only been gone a little over six months but some days it had felt like years, others it felt like he'd been gone less than a week.

"I know that look, you aren't thinking about finals," Ron teased, walking into the office and setting his books down. "C'mon tell me what's up man."

Roman shook his head. "Just thinking about what I'm going to do for the holidays," he said, leaning back in his chair as he turned to face Ron. "I'm thinking about just staying up here."

"You aren't going to go back to Florida, where it's warm and sunny? Are you fucking nuts?" Ron asked, his brows furrowing in confusion. "First place I'd be going is down there soaking up all that sun and wishing I didn't have to come back to this frozen hell."

Roman couldn't help but chuckle. He really wanted to go back to get away from the cold. He didn't like it at all. Even as he sat there in the long sleeved dress shirt, he hated that he couldn't just go outside and enjoy the warm sun. He didn't understand how his students stayed positive with it being so cold, the weather people calling for snow in the next few days.

"Don't say you like it enough up here to be alone on Christmas."

Roman shook his head. "Not really. I do miss my friends down there," he mused, sitting up when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. His brows furrowed as he pulled it out and looked at the number, smiling when he realized it was his mom's. "Hey mom," he greeted cheerfully, listening to her usual greeting and fussing over making sure he's eating enough and taking care of himself. "I miss you too."

_I'll get straight to the point Roman, since I know you're at work. Your father and I want you to come home for Christmas. We miss you baby, and I want to see your face. And Seth is driving me crazy with you being gone. I swear he misses you more than a dog misses his favorite bone._

Roman couldn't help but laugh out loud, biting his lower lip as his mother went on about how she felt like Seth called her or came over once a week to make up for Roman's absence. "I know, he's a little clingy. But he's only been my best friend since we were five," he defended, hearing his mother let out a slow sigh. "I know, he can be a bit much. I figured Dean would keep him pretty entertained though."

_As if, that boy's got so much energy. Speaking of Dean, he's come down with the flu. Seth said he was working so much at the garage to help out while Titus was out with his mother he'd made himself sick. I don't know if they've told you, but Titus' mother isn't doing well. She's only got a little time left._

Roman's smile instantly faded. While he didn't know Titus' mother, he did know Titus pretty well. He said his condolences, thinking that it really wasn't fair that good people were the ones to get sick. He knew that Titus only spoke highly of her and her undying love and fighting spirit. She was a strong woman and he hated that he was hearing that she was doing so poorly.

_Please think about it baby. We want you to come home for at least a week. I miss you and all of your friends do too. Brad even calls me every once in a while asking if you're coming back._

Roman agreed to think about it before he told her he loved her and hung up. He looked over to where Ron was looking at him with a broad smile. "What?" he asked, looking down at his phone. "It was my mom. She wants me to come home." He looked back up, shaking his head. "I still don't know."

Ron scooted his chair closer to Roman, reaching out and resting his hand on the man's knee. "Look at me," he said soft but firmly. "You can't hide out here from your problems down there. Even if you do see Cody, it doesn't mean things are going to change. Besides it would be a good time to take Max down there with you. I'm sure your family would enjoy it."

Roman thought that over. It was true. He could make plans for the two of them to go down. He shrugged, shaking his head as he stood. He'd think about it later, at that moment he was running late to his last class of the day.

* * *

When Roman opened the door to his lonely apartment he instantly thought about the conversation he'd had with Ron before he'd left that afternoon.

"_Back already?" Ron asked, looking up from his stack of papers. "You still thinking about Florida?" He knew Roman was just by the way the other man was looking down at his things deep in thought. "You know, going down there might be good closure. If you don't face your problems head on, you end up gettin' got." He shrugged when Roman looked up at him. "Just saying man. And this is your family. They miss you. Don't hold out on them like that."_

_Roman nodded, smiling. He really did want to go home and see his mom, taste her cooking again. He missed Seth's hugs and their conversations. He missed Dean's rough and bluntness. But most of all he just missed home. As much as he tried to lie to himself, Iowa wasn't home. He loved his new friends but it still wasn't home. "You're right, I need to go home and see everyone. I have a new baby cousin that I've never even seen," he finally admitted, smiling. "I'll call when I get home and tell my mom I'm going to come home."_

_Ron smiled, nodding. "There's a good son," he praised, laughing at the look he received. "Hey, I'd tell my sons the exact same if they were fighting this battle. All we have in this world is family." He smirked, shrugging before he returned to his work, leaving Roman to think about what he'd said and his own inner questions. "Just make sure you come back. I don't want to end up with some asshole in this office again, especially since we get along so well."_

_Roman only laughed out loud, smiling as he touched the frame that held his and Cody's picture, still unable to put it away. He had to go home and at least check on everyone, make sure they were doing alright._

Roman sighed as he set his bag down and walked over to his couch and flopped down, thinking about going home. He thought about the one person he didn't want to see. Even after being apart, he knew he still had feelings for the other man. It wasn't just those feelings that he was scared of. Him and Cody had told each other to be happy and he was. He'd started dating, him and Max hitting it off well and making it official after the second date.

He shuddered at the thought that Cody could be doing the same. He hadn't heard anything from Seth or his mom about him so anything could have happened. He sat up, thinking that Cody could have moved away. His heart pounded, his hands shaking. He didn't know what was worse, the idea that Cody had moved away from Pensacola or that he had someone else that made him happy.

He thought of their home being empty, all the love that had grown there missing. He knew if Cody hadn't moved back in it would probably still be vacant, it belonging to his mother and father in his absence. He'd taken over the payments when his aunt and uncle had decided to move back to the islands, only a few years left on the mortgage. It had been completely paid for the second year him and Cody had lived there.

He sighed, he couldn't think about those kinds of things or else he was going to talk himself out of going back. He had to stop thinking about Cody and think about who else was waiting on him. He'd see Seth and Dean, he'd finally get to talk to Jay face to face. He'd see Brad. His stomach did a summersault. He hadn't thought about how things would be between them when he came back. He'd told Brad before that he was his type, he hadn't been lying, but he had left things open ended so that they could possibly have a chance at dating.

He groaned, thinking it might be better to hang out in Iowa after all. He knew he was just over thinking things. If he asked Max to go with him, it would be easy to see that he'd moved on and it would make a lot of unasked questions easier to answer with minimal explaining.

"Stop being a pansy ass," Roman growled out loud, reaching into his pocket and grabbing his phone. He scrolled to his mother's number before he hit the call button and waited for her to pick up. He was surprised when he heard the deep voice on the other side. "Dad?"

_Roman! How're you son? Your mother was just talking about you coming down for the holidays. You're going to make it right?_

Roman's heart pounded, nodding silently. "Y-yeah, I'll be down for the holidays. There's someone I want you and mom to meet," he said, the excited questions bubbling on the other line. He ignored them, telling his father he'd be on the first flight down after his finals were put in. "Miss you too dad see you soon."

* * *

(A/N): Well, Roman is going back to Florida for Christmas, Things are about to get interesting from there! But we have a bit more to go before we make it to that. Hope everyone is enjoying it! Let me know what you think! Another chapter down, lets see how the next one goes! As always, onwards and upwards loves!Chapter title is Moving On by The Used.

JacktheSinister_JaketheJust


	3. Holding On

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 2.  
**

**Note: Early update because Rolleigns week starts tomorrow and I will HOPEFULLY have something ready. Also, we're back tracking a little in the story now, so we're going to see what Cody's up to. See you Monday! Enjoy! -JJ**

* * *

_**Holding On**_

Cody sighed, locking the front door before he walked down to his car. He looked up at the door, his eyes focusing on it for a moment, hoping that for some stupid reason he would see Roman running after him just to tell him to have a good day and give him a goodbye kiss like he had in the past. He shook his head, sucking in a breath. He pushed the thought away before he got into the car and started his way to work.

He was silent the entire way there, the radio playing lowly. He wasn't listening. He was just watching the road, numbly taking in the same sights he'd seen before. He was early to work again, this time by over an hour. He'd been focusing more on work lately, unable to really do anything else. He hated being at home alone. He refused to cook most days and most of the time he fell asleep out on the couch, unable to bring himself to sleep in his and Roman's once shared bed.

He pulled into the employee parking and got out. He pressed the button to lock the doors as he walked in through the back. He breathed in the same heavy smell of new paper and Cody tried to smile, really tried. He started his usual morning chores, forgetting to grab his apron and clock in. He walked the isles, fixing anything out of order, pushing the old creaky cart as he set out more copies of books.

He stopped when his eyes landed on one book in particular. He couldn't help but smile at it as he squatted down and plucked it from the bottom shelf. He looked over the cover, the gold leaf sparking in the morning sun. _Utopia_. Cody moved to sit on the floor, his legs crossed as he looked over the cover, his fingers splaying over the title. He took a breath, opening the book and starting to read.

He actually hadn't picked up either book that Roman had walked in to buy those years ago. He let himself get drawn up into the words, the ideas sucking him in deeper to the point that he didn't hear Damien come in.

"Cody, if you choose to come in on your days off, that's perfectly acceptable, but at least return the cart to its rightful place!" Damien called, sighing heavily as he pulled his black apron on over his white dress shirt and clocked in. He scanned the small store, knowing Cody was somewhere inside but unsure of where that would be.

Cody jumped, looking up from his spot to find the sun streaming in through the large plate window. He realized he had to have been sitting there reading for the better part of an hour at the very least. He hurried to his feet, putting the book on the cart and looking around to meet Damien's eyes. "I'm sorry Dame, I just got sucked into this book," he admitted, smiling lightly. He saw the worry settled in Damien's black eyes. "I'm fine Dame, stop worrying."

Damien shook his head, walking over and resting his hands on the opposite side of the cart. "Cody, I'm not entirely sure how to say this, but you can't spend all of your time here. I know Roman leaving has been hard, but you have to move on at least slightly."

Cody's hurt blue eyes fell to the carpet. He sucked his lower lip into his mouth, nibbling on it. "I know," he finally whispered, his jaw tightening. "It's just hard Dame. He left me here and I have no way of calling or speaking to him. I can't even tell him that I remember everything."

Damien sighed, reaching out and resting a hand on Cody's shoulder. He didn't know what else to say, but he at least wanted to show that he felt for Cody. "Go home Cody. Get some rest. I've found some reliable new help that start next week. I need you to have all of your strength, physically and mentally, so you can train one.

Cody nodded, looking down at the book. "Ring me up real quick?" he asked, smiling softly. He followed Damien up to the counter and listened as Damien logged on and started it up. "Funny fact, this is one of the books that made Roman come into this store. You ever know that?"

Damien actually looked at the title, smiling when he read it. "It makes sense."

* * *

Cody sat in his car in the parking lot, closing his eyes as he thought over what had happened the last month. It hadn't been quiet.

_Once he'd calmed down enough to breathe and stop the tears, Cody clutched the chain in his hand as he drove back into town and right to Drew's. He dropped it into the console when he hit the city limits. He pulled into the driveway and slammed the door shut as he ran up the walk and burst into the door. He saw Drew walking out from the kitchen in just a pair of jeans. His anger only seemed to grow, knowing that part of this was his fault. He stormed over, Drew's bright smile only fueling him. He reeled his fist back and swung, his fist colliding with Drew's left cheek. "You son-of-bitch," he growled, his voice shaking._

_Drew stumbled backwards holding his face before he looked back at Cody, his eyes wide with confusion. "What the hell was that for?" he asked, anger growing in his own voice. "What the fuck happened?"_

_Cody's blue eyes landed on the bruise that seemed to instantly cling to Drew's smooth skin. "I remember everything, that's what fucking happened," Cody growled out, his entire body starting to shake. He saw the surprise in the dark blue eyes. "After everything that ever happened with us, you still lied to me at the end. Roman knew about the last time we slept together. I told him and you knew it. What did you think it would accomplish lying to me again?"_

_Drew swallowed hard, shaking his head. He really hadn't been thinking when he'd told Cody about it. He'd done it out of jealousy, blind jealousy and he'd regretted it after saying it. Even though he'd known he'd lost, he still wanted just to hang onto Cody a little longer. He was silent, unable to answer Cody's question._

_Cody's entire body tensed up before he turned towards his room. He stormed in and instantly started packing everything up. He turned to find Drew standing silently in the doorway. "He left before I could see him, just so you know. And to top it off, he changed his number so I can't even fucking call and tell him all this, apologize for everything I've done to him," he ground out, pushing more things into one of the boxes he hadn't thrown out. Suddenly he was thankful that he'd held onto them._

"_I just want to know why you went that far. After everything you put me through, with Taryn and the baby, how you treated me like your dirty little secret for two years before you and her divorced," Cody started, stopping when he looked up into the averted dark blue eyes. "And when you tried to monopolize me, feeding me lies about how you wanted us to be together just because I was interested in Roman. You knew we wouldn't work out. You knew it!"_

_Drew sighed, his hands dropping to cross against his chest. "I never got over you Cody, it's stupid but I've explained this before that I just wanted you back, fix the problems I caused before," he defended, knowing that it was a weak, poor excuse. "I'm sorry for what I've done Cody."_

_Cody felt the hair on the back of his neck bristle up. "You're sorry?" he asked incredulously, pulling his necklace up from under his shirt. "Roman loved me enough to want to ask me to marry him. You and me stopped talking because of the shit you kept trying to pull and the problems you caused between me and Roman. You lied to me and led me on!" He was yelling, breathing hard as he shoved more things into the boxes. "Well fuck you Drew. Fuck you!"_

_Drew sighed, knowing he deserved that. "Do you want help moving back?" he asked, holding his hands up in defense at the murderous look Cody shot him. "Just asking."_

"_Right now, I don't even want to see your face."_

Cody sighed, thinking that he hadn't spoken to Drew since that day and he still didn't want to. He turned his key and started his ride home.

He'd calmed down a lot since then and even though he hadn't forgiven Drew completely, he knew he couldn't place the entire blame on him. He'd moved all of his things back in before that afternoon and left his copy of Drew's key in the Scot's mailbox. He'd called Seth and Dean, begging Seth to come over and speak with him.

Once he'd gotten back to the house he couldn't even walk in the door. He just sat on the front step, his hands clasped in front of him, his entire body shaking.

_Seth skidded into the driveway next to Cody's car, hurrying to get out of the Honda before he ran up the walk to where Cody was sitting. "What's going on? What happened?" he asked, almost breathless as he looked down at Cody's shaking frame. "Cody?"_

"_He left me here," Cody murmured, looking up into chocolate eyes. "To deal with all this on my fucking own."_

_Seth stood there, unsure of what Cody was talking about. "You can call—"_

"_No, I can't Seth. I fucking tried, he changed his number. After everything last night he went and changed his fucking number," Cody interrupted, his eyes narrowing. "Have you tried calling him?"_

_Seth shook his head, hurrying to grab his phone from his pocket and scrolling to Roman's name. He pressed the call button. His face fell into shock when he heard the same message Cody had heard. He swallowed, his phone sliding from his ear. "Shit, he really did. He didn't tell me or Dean he was changing numbers."_

_Cody let out a breath, his entire body sagging. "I remember everything Seth," he said softly, looking up into the wide orbs. "Yeah, I can't even tell him that."_

_Seth sighed, shaking his head as he sat down next to Cody and pulled him into a hug. "Who else knows?"_

_Cody leaned into Seth's embrace, closing his eyes as he breathed in the musky cologne he knew Dean wore. In his heart, it hurt to know that he'd probably never have Roman's scent on him again. "Just Drew. I blew up at him over everything."_

_Seth nodded, running a hand through the short brown hair. "We'll figure something out man. We'll get him to call you or something. Actually, I'll go over to Sika and Paula's. She's the only one I know that I can get information out of."_

"_That's because you practically lived at her house as a kid," Cody tossed in playfully, chuckling. He pulled back, trusting in Seth's words that they would figure things out, that somehow he'd get to speak to Roman and tell him he remembered._

The rest of the time he just tried figure out how to live alone. He would go to work, come home, attempt to eat something other than noodles, try to sleep in his and Roman's bed, toss and turn for a few hours before he found solace on the couch. He hadn't heard anything from Seth, the other man still trying to get Roman's new number from his mother. He hadn't heard anything from Drew at all.

Cody pulled into his driveway and turned the car off. He sat there for a moment before he scooped up his book and carried it inside. He stood in the doorway, kicking his shoes off and looking around the living room. It wasn't dirty, but it wasn't clean. He could see the dust accumulating on some of the pictures, the carpet needed vacuumed. The couch had a naked pillow and a rumpled up blanket at the opposite end. A bowl of half eaten noodles was on the end table, an empty glass next to it.

He shook his head, setting the book down on the end table and grabbing the glass and bowl. He walked into the kitchen and set them in the sink next to the same pot he'd used to cook with the night before. He looked around the room, thinking of all the happy memories he had there with Roman.

Cody's eyes fell to the floor when he thought about everything that had happened between them again. He hated how he'd treated Roman and at that moment he hated himself for holding back the night before he'd left. He didn't want to think about the 'what ifs' but he couldn't stop the same one playing over in his mind. _What if I'd said I love you_?

Cody felt the tears once again building up and he turned away, walking back into the living room. He fell down onto the couch, laying back on his pillow, his hands resting on his ribs. He knew he'd lost weight over the last month, his clothes fitting a little looser. He was surprised his mother hadn't said anything about it when he went to visit her over the weekends.

He rolled to his side, curling his arm under his head as he laid there in silence. He could hear the birds outside singing, the steady sound of traffic and children playing. None of it did anything to help his slowly souring mood. He was tired of laying there so depressed, he was tired of feeling so useless but he hated even more when he tried to do something he found that it did nothing to help him or his mood.

Cody's head snapped up when he heard the doorknob jiggle and the door swing open. He sighed, smiling when he saw Seth walk in, a smile on his face and hands on his hips. "I'm not brooding, before you even get started," he grunted, inwardly laughing at the sudden drop in Seth's features.

Seth was quick to retort. "You are too. Now get up and go for a run with me. You're getting scrawny just sitting around. When Roman comes home and sees that he's going to be pissed," he teased, pausing when he realized that he'd brought up the one thing that was affecting Cody. "And you need some fresh air. Damien called and told me you were at the shop again today."

Cody groaned, shaking his head as he sat up. He was going to kill his boss for calling his best friend. "I actually found a book that I'm going to read," he answered, getting up anyway. He walked back towards his and Roman's room, pausing at the doorway and looking over the neatly kept room before he stepped in. He pulled his shirt and jeans off before pulling on a pair of gym shorts and a tank top. As much flack as he gave Seth, he wasn't going to pass up a run with the other man. Somehow it always seemed to help him clear his mind and better his mood.

Seth waited in the living room, reaching into the pocket of his own gym shorts and pulling his phone out. He smiled as he text his lover. He pushed the phone back into his pocket, Cody walking out. "Well look at you, all ready to get your sweat on?"

"Don't you have pictures to be taking?" Cody teased back, reaching for the string on the inside of his shorts and tying it tight. He tucked his spare key away in his shorts from the rack and turned to Seth. "Well, you ready to get your ass kicked in this run?"

Seth smiled, following Cody out once he'd pulled on his sneakers.

* * *

They ran for a while, both silent as they mapped out their way. Seth would lead for a while before Cody would take over and put more twists and turns into their path before once again giving the reigns over to Seth.

Both weren't surprised when they'd made it up to the boardwalk, sweaty and panting. They stopped their jog to find the first vendor they could; both getting two bottles of water.

Cody chugged at his first one, pulling the hem of his shirt up to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He breathed in the salty air, the sun bearing down on him, making his skin prickle from the heat. He actually smiled, looking over the boardwalk as him and Seth started a slow walk past the shops. "So how're you and Dean?" he asked, looking over at his smiling friend. "And I don't want details from last night."

Seth could only chuckle. "We're doing fine. He's working hard at the shop. Him and Paige both are getting a lot of overtime lately," he started, looking over to meet Cody's questioning eyes. "Don't worry, nothing's going on with them. Titus's mom is having some health issues. He's been spending a lot of time at the hospital with her." He saw the flicker of sadness in Cody's eyes. "We're hoping she pulls through too."

Cody nodded, stopping when he saw the electric blue surfboard in front of the surf shop. He smiled again, looking over the sign before tossing his head towards the door. He hadn't seen or talked to any of Roman's family but once over the last month and he wanted to see how Trinity was doing. He opened the door and sighed happily at the cool air that rushed over him, chilling his sweaty skin and making him shiver.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Trinity chimed from the counter, smiling as she walked from behind in and over to Cody. She wrapped him up in a bug hug, ignoring that he smelled of sweat and his skin was still slick. "You finally made it out of the house."

Cody nodded, smiling. "Thank Seth here for that," he answered, looking down at the round belly. "Hey baby Jey," he cooed, bending down to rest his hand on her belly. "You almost done in there?"

Trinity laughed, feeling her son start to squirm around. "Almost, just a few more weeks now, speaking of, do you know of anyone looking for a part time job?" she asked, lightly stroking over the firm skin. "Jon and Josh are going to be alone when he gets here and we need all the help we can get after I come back from maternity leave. I didn't realize how expensive childcare really was, and Jon doesn't trust anyone."

Cody nodded, a thought striking him. "Hey, you know, I can watch him on my days off. I'll just work my schedule at the shop and I can watch him while you and Jon are here. It'll save you a bunch in child care and I know a plenty about babies, since my sisters' keep popping them out," he said, perking up at the idea of having something to take his mind off his usual mundane days. He smiled wider, Trinity taking a moment to think.

"You know that might just work out. I'll talk to Jon about it and we'll work out the details. Thanks Cody, are you sure you're up for it though?" she asked, knowing that Cody was just looking for something to push Roman from his mind. She did trust Cody, and she knew Cody would take care of her son, and probably spoil him rotten at the same time.

Cody nodded, smiling as their conversation turned into catching up and asking if Trinity needed anything else for when baby Jey made his debut into the world.

* * *

Cody pushed the door open, dog tired from how hard Seth had run him. They'd taken a direct route back to his place, both with tired legs as they walked in and crashed down on the couch. He smiled, feeling a little better physically after going out and using muscles he'd been neglecting.

"So, other than spending all of your time at the shop, how're you doing Cody?" Seth asked, looking over at Cody's closed eyes. He wanted to dive in and ask about his mental state, how he was emotionally, but at the same time he didn't want to piss his best friend off either.

"I'm okay. Just living right now," he answered, opening his eyes and staring at the ceiling. "Not much else I can do." He turned his head towards Seth, smiling painfully.

Seth nodded, slouching down on the couch, closing his eyes for a moment. "I haven't gotten anything out of Paula. Every time I ask, she just tells me that she doesn't know anything or that Roman's asked her not to give his number out," he started, cracking his eyes open to see that Cody had closed his again. "I've emailed him a couple times, he's gotten back to me that way, but that's it. He hasn't given me his number."

Cody nodded, feeling his throat start to close with building emotions. "You think he'd write back if I emailed him? He left before his birthday so I couldn't even say that to him," Cody murmured, opening his eyes, finding it hard to see through the tears. "God, I sound so pathetic here. I did this. I forced him away."

"No, you…." Seth let his voice trail off, unable to really say much. He sucked in a breath, trying to think. He knew it wasn't Cody's fault per se. Cody wasn't exactly the same he'd been before the accident. He was like a different person over the last year. "Look Cody, I'm not saying you didn't make mistakes because fuck, we know it was a cluster fuck over this last year but that didn't give Roman the right to just ditch you like that either. He knew there was a possibility that you'd never remember and he knew that you had to be confused about everything going on. Both of you made a lot of mistakes but he should've at least kept contact to resolve some of this."

Cody shrugged. There was no use in talking about the "should've beens". "I'm not worried about it Seth," he murmured, standing and walking towards the kitchen for a glass of water. "I'm surprised he even told me he was leaving. I didn't deserve that courtesy."

Seth sighed, standing and following. "No Cody, you didn't deserve what he did. He gave you false hope. He's never been that cruel," he fought back, crossing his arms over his chest, taking the glass of water that was being offered. He gulped it down, looking across the rim at Cody's downcast eyes. "I wish he could see you right now, how much you miss him. He'd come home in an instant. If you want, I can tell him that you remember."

Cody stood there, almost frozen. He thought over the possibilities, if Seth told Roman the truth. After a moment, he shook his head. "No, I want him to hear it from me. I want to be able to say it to him," he finally said, setting his empty glass in the sink. He looked down at the floor hard, his jaw tight. "I want to see his face when I say it. So I can apologize for all of this and tell him everything I should've back then."

Seth nodded, smiling lightly. He finished his water and set his glass in the sink next to Cody's. "Look, if you ever want someone to talk to. You know me and Dean are only a phone call away. And you have Mike and Ted of course. Just take care of yourself Cody, okay?"

Cody nodded, walking with Seth to the front room. He said his goodbyes and walked Seth out to his car, both saying goodbye again before he came back inside his lonely home. He sighed, watching as the golds and reds poured in through the windows. He closed his eyes for a moment, deciding that he would take a much needed shower and start reading the book he'd bought, hoping that it would take his mind off of everything.

He showered slowly, letting the water relax all of his aching muscles before he actually started washing up. He didn't take too long after that, thinking that he should probably eat something other than noodles for dinner. He toweled off and pulled on a pair of clean boxers before he walked into the living room. The sky was darkening as the sun fell under the horizon, casting long shadows across the room.

Cody flipped on a light, thinking over what Seth had said. If Seth could email him and get a response, there had to be a chance he could too. He hurried to pull his laptop out from the spare room and set it up on the coffee table. He turned it on and logged in before he hurried to his email. He didn't spend too much time online, mostly because he had other things he normally wanted to do, but at that moment he wasn't thinking about that. He clicked to compose a new email and sat there.

Fear had frozen him as he looked at the blinking cursor on the blank page. He wasn't sure how to start, or even what to say. He sucked in a breath, hitting a couple keys. He looked over the letters as they ran together. He was a paragraph in before he shook his head and highlighted it all and deleted it. That wasn't how he wanted to start it. He grit his teeth, starting again, fingers trembling, causing him to trip up and have to stop to delete mistake after mistake.

He sat there for the better part of an hour working on his email, editing out things he wasn't sure if he wanted to send and rewriting things that didn't sound perfect. He read it over after he was finished, smiling at the short, but sweet email he'd written. He'd included how much he missed Roman, how lonely their home was without him. He talked about Trinity and baby Jey and at the end he'd told Roman that he needed to tell him something and to please call so they could talk.

Cody felt confident as he clicked the send button, his heart pounding hard in his chest. He smiled, taking a breath as he shut the lid. For the first time in over a month he felt oddly at peace. He felt like things would get better, they had to. He hoped Roman would read it and answer him back soon.

* * *

(A/N): And so we start with Cody's story. For anyone that's confused, this is a month after Roman left, so we're back tracking a little to see exactly what Cody's been up to as well. Welp, let me know what you think loves! As always, onwards and upwards! Title is Holding On by Simple Plan.

JacktheSinister_JaketheJust


	4. In Pieces

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 3.  
**

**Note: I'm going to apologize in advance to Sparkles Blue. You'll understand as soon as you read the first couple lines. On the other hand, here's another chapter for everyone! Just because, no real reason other than it was finished. There will be an update Monday too! So yay! Hope everyone's ready for te road to get a little bumpy here. =] See you Monday! Enjoy! -JJ**

* * *

_**In Pieces**_

Cody felt a tap on his shoulder as he pushed a book into place on the second to top shelf. He turned, curious to see it was a young male. He smiled, setting the few books in his arms down on the cart before turning his entire attention to him. "Is there something I can help you with?" he asked, letting his blue eyes move over the boyish face.

"I just wanted to introduce myself, I'm Bo Dallas," the male started, smiling brightly. "I'm your new co-worker." He looked Cody up and down, his heart starting to pound just a little faster at the handsome face. He liked Cody's smile, the flash of white teeth and sparkling blue eyes.

Cody extended his hand, actually taking in the other man. He had to admit, Bo had a baby face being completely clean shaven with the darkest brown eyes he'd ever looked into. He was about the same height as Cody but a little broader in the shoulders. His eyes followed the long lines of Bo's chest, taking in the white button up shirt and how it fit Bo perfectly. Needless to say, Bo was handsome. "Cody Rhodes. It's nice to meet you and I hope we have can work well together," he replied, hearing footsteps start towards them. It was then that he noticed that Bo's hair was long enough that it landed right in the middle of his back. His chest tightened, thinking that it was almost as long as Roman's.

Damien stiffly walked up, a young female in tow, a pony tail high on the side of her head with two brightly colored thin headbands, one blue one red. Her outfit wasn't any quieter. Her red blouse sang in the otherwise color neutral store, her slacks were black but her heels were a bright shade of blue.

Cody had to admit she pulled it off well and it looked good on her.

"I see you've already met Mr. Dallas," Damien stated, looking from Bo to Cody. "I wanted to introduce you properly to our newest staff members. This is Bayley Martinez. Ms. Martinez this is Cody Rhodes. I will take the liberty to train you in everything you are expected to know and Mr. Dallas will be working with Cody." He looked back at the fidgeting girl, forcing a smile out at her. "Let's begin with the front counter. Cody you and Mr. Dallas will be working with stock."

Cody nodded, understanding perfectly that Damien wanted both trained as quickly and efficiently as possible. He turned his attention back to Bo, giving Damien and Bayley a minute to walk away. "Well, if we're going to working together so closely, we might as well start at the beginning," he started, motioning for Bo to follow him. He pushed the cart into the back, stopping and looking around the large back. "Well normally in the mornings either Damien or I will start off with replenishing stock."

Bo listened intently to Cody's explanation, his eyes landing on the silver band on Cody's left hand. For a moment his heart sunk. While he'd been listening, he'd also been checking the other man out, taking in the handsome boyish features and really enjoying them. He followed Cody as he did his rounds, paying as much attention to the details as he could.

Damien watched from across the room, allowing Bayley to ring the next person up on her own. He could see the adoration in Bo's face already and for a moment he wondered if he'd made the wrong choice in pairing him up with Cody for training. He turned his attention back to Bayley, eyes widening when he saw her looking back up at him with doe eyes. "Well done," he praised after the customer had left the store.

* * *

"How long?" Bo asked, nibbling at his sandwich. He was happy for a lunch break, finding that there was so much more into working at a bookstore than he'd originally thought. It was a good time to sit down and really process everything, and get to know his co-workers better.

Cody cocked his head to the side in confusion, popping a chip into his mouth. He hadn't really packed a lunch so he'd decided to raid the vending machine in the back for a snack. "How long what?" he returned, looking to where Bo was pointing. He saw his engagement band on his finger and his chest tightened. "Um, actually I'm not married."

Bo's eyes widened, this time the one confused. "I mean I hope I'm not being pushy, but why are you wearing it if you aren't?" he went on, setting his sandwich down and taking a drink from his bottled soda. He saw the flicker of pain in Cody's eyes and instantly he tried to back pedal. "I mean, it's okay, you don't have to tell me. I'm sorry."

Cody shook his head, taking a deep breath. He pushed his single serving sized chip bag away. "You're fine. It was from my boyfriend," he murmured, looking down at the ring with a sigh. He looked up into Bo's shocked face. "Yeah. I hope you're not uncomfortable because I can ask Damien to switch you and Bayley if you are."

"No!" Bo yipped, jolting to sit up straight in his chair. "I mean, it's just… I didn't…." He fell silent, unable to bring the words to his mouth. He felt heat creep up his neck to his face, his previous thoughts only returning. He did find Cody attractive, more so now that he knew he wasn't married and into men.

Cody smiled, chuckling. "Didn't think I would be interested in men?" he finished, earning a slow nod. He looked back down at his ring, his smile slowly fading. "Yeah, it's not something I usually bring up when I first meet someone. I don't hide it, but I don't flaunt it either."

Bo nodded again, looking up. "I understand," he murmured, his fingers starting to fiddle in his lap. "Just so we're on the same page, I'm bi. I didn't tell Mr. Sandow because I didn't know if it would affect anything, ya know?"

Cody made a noise of approval. He'd been outed for his sexuality before, he completely understood why Bo didn't want to bring it up. "Don't worry, he doesn't care. As long as you aren't making out in the store room with your partner, he won't say too much. He's got a policy about leaving your personal life at the door though. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bit of a rule breaker though."

Bo couldn't help but smile at the implied joke. He looked down into his lap, sneaking peeks up at Cody as the other man started to eat again. "So, your boyfriend, he must be really committed to you to buy you a ring," he started, wanting to get to know Cody more. He was sure he wouldn't have a chance on Earth with him, but he did want them to become friends, Cody was so nice.

Cody faltered, stopping in mid chew before he swallowed the half eaten chips. "We aren't together anymore," he murmured, finding that he'd lost his appetite completely. "He moved to Iowa over a month ago."

Bo instantly felt lower that dirt. "Shit, I'm so sorry. I'm really messing this up right now," he groaned, biting his lips shut.

"No, you're fine," Cody corrected, shaking his head. "I mean I am wearing it, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to ask about it." He looked down at the silver band once more, sighing lightly. "I'm just not over it I guess. The last year was really hard on him and we had a lot of problems. Which was my fault."

Bo sat there, unsure of what to even say. He'd only known Cody for a short time, but he certainly didn't seem like the type of person to cause too many problems in a relationship. He seemed so laid back and fun.

"Anyway, enough of that. Are you going to college?" Cody went on, telling himself that he didn't need to think about Roman at that moment. He knew work wasn't the place to really let someone into his personal life. He turned his attention back to Bo, smiling when the younger male seemed to perk up.

"Yeah, my third year," he started, once again nibbling at his lunch. "I'm a little behind since I took two years off between high school and college. I wasn't really ready to keep going, ya know?"

Cody nodded, smiling. "I understand fully," he answered, thinking back on attending a junior college and getting his associates before he'd decided to just dedicate his life to the book store. "So, you're 22… 23?"

"Just turned 24 on May 25th," Bo answered, smiling again. He saw a flicker of pain in Cody's blue eyes but he didn't dare ask. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? You don't look much older than me."

"I just turned 29 a few days ago," Cody murmured, thinking that it had to be more than coincidence that Bo and Roman shared the same birthday. He wondered if this was retribution, karma even, from the heavens above sent to torment him.

"Well, happy belated birthday," Bo said, catching Cody's blue eyes and smiling wide. He saw the corners of Cody's lips turn up in a real smile and he couldn't ignore how hard his heart thumped in his chest. He felt a blush creep up his neck as he returned to his lunch. He snuck glances up at Cody, the other man seemingly more interested in his phone than actually finishing up the chips he'd bought.

* * *

Days turned to weeks and Cody seemed to lose hope that Roman would email him back, he'd lost complete hope that he would call. He sighed as he leaned back against the counter, looking over the empty store. It was raining out, which seemed to kill their foot traffic. Him and Bo were cleaning shelves and working on a new display, both deciding on taking a break while Damien finished up some paperwork for the store.

Cody's mind was far off, his eyes watching the heavy rain outside slam into the large window. He didn't want to admit that he was thinking about Roman and the night they'd spent together, how it had been raining that night too. He blew out a sigh, thinking that he had plenty more memories that were begging to haunt him that involved him and Roman in the rain. He felt a gentle nudge in his shoulder and looked over.

Bo stood there, arms crossed over his chest as he looked the opposite way, pretending to be looking over the other displays and shelves. He looked back over, Cody's eyes once again narrowed and brooding towards the glass. He smirked as he nudged Cody again with his shoulder, turning his head quickly back away with a smile growing on his lips.

Cody looked back over, looking over Bo's stance, noticing that it mirrored his own. He tried to hide his smile as he looked back towards the window. He watched in his peripheral. He saw Bo look at him and when the other man went to nudge him again, he took a wide step away. He laughed out loud, Bo stumbling and almost falling.

Bo looked up, his heart doing a flip at the other man's laugh. He hated how attracted to Cody he felt. He'd been working with Cody for over a month and he just couldn't seem to stop the growing crush he had. He straightened up, chuckling as he turned his face, knowing that it was growing hot. "You know, the best part about days like today?" he asked a few moments later, sure that his face wasn't red.

"What's that?" Cody asked, uncrossing his arms and looking back at Bo, watching the brown eyes look far off into the rain. For a moment he could see Roman standing there, that same far off look and somber face. In an instant it was there, the next it was gone when he noticed Bo's silly smile growing.

"Playing in it," Bo answered, trying to make a serious face. He couldn't help but smile though, Cody smiling along with him. "Actually, funny story, I used to play out in the rain all the time when I was younger. My mom tells me that I used to say that it was God's tears washing all the bad away. That's why it made skin and hair so soft."

Cody thought about the words, thinking that it was a deep thought for a child. "I wonder if he could wash all my bad away," he murmured, turning back to Bo with a half grin. He could see the red creeping up to Bo's cheeks.

"I don't think you have any bad in you," Bo answered without thinking. He saw the small falter in Cody's smile before the other man turned away from him. He smiled, knowing that he'd caught a small sight of pink touching Cody's cheeks. He turned, ready to work more on the display.

Bo looked over his shoulder as he worked on the bottom tier, Cody walking around the store doing other things that needed to be done. He sat there thinking, knowing that it was silly for him to want to ask Cody out one night. There was no way Cody would be interested in him, not when he had someone else he was still holding on to.

He let out a small sigh, dipping his head down to set up a few books. He was conflicted between saying something and keeping it to himself. While him and Cody had grown closer into a great working relationship and a good friendship, the other man never spoke of his ex again but at the same time, he wore his engagement band every single day.

He set up another couple books, looking up to find Cody bent over the cart, reaching for a book that had almost fallen over the other edge. His brown eyes widened, his throat constricting around the noises that wanted to come forth. He had to admit, Cody did have a nice ass. He should've known he was staring but it wasn't until he'd heard the deep rumble of Damien's voice that he'd realized it.

Damien had seen how closely Bo and Cody were growing, even after his training had come to an end. He'd seen Bo's eyes follow Cody, he heard the light flirtation that passed from Bo's lips to Cody's oblivious ears. He could already tell that Bo had something for his best friend. "Remember to keep you mind on the task at hand, not the task you'd rather be giving your hand," he growled, his voice low enough so only Bo could hear. He saw surprised chocolate orbs look up at him, and his black ones only narrowed. "There is a strict policy on fraternization among employees. Remember that Mr. Dallas." With that he turned and walked away, his eyes flicking back up to where Cody had straightened out and was once again working on replacing books.

Bo sat there, jaw tight as he thought over those words. While he'd never heard Cody bring it up, he hadn't thought it would make much difference as long as he left his personal life at the door, like Cody had told him the day he'd started. His normal smile seemed to evade him as he finished up working on the display, his jaw ever so tight as he continued to think about what Damien had said and his own personal feelings.

* * *

Cody was the one to grumble when he opened the door and shook out his jacket, water falling from him. "I'm so sick of rain!" he finally said aloud, pulling his jacket completely off as he walked to the back. He hung it up in the back next to the time clock and grabbed his apron before he clocked in. He stepped out of the back, almost slamming the door into Bo as he passed by. "Shit, Bo, I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention."

Bo only smiled, shaking his head a bit. "No it's okay, this rain's got everyone in a bit of a funk," he said, walking with Cody back towards the front. He looked down at his shoes, everything Damien had said still playing over in his mind. He was tired of his feelings growing stronger each day he worked with Cody and being unable to at least speak of them. He noticed that after that day he didn't work as much with Cody has before. It had only been a little over a week but he knew Damien was keeping them separated. Not only that but Damien had seemed to make it his personal mission to make Bo feel uncomfortable with under the table comments that somehow indirectly had to deal with Cody.

Cody looked over, finding that Bo had been a lot quieter the last few times they'd worked together. "Hey, everything okay? You're really quiet. The rain getting to you bad too?" he asked, genuinely concerned for the other man. He smiled, Bo nodding with a smile. He could tell that it was a little forced. "You know, you can talk to me if you ever need to. No guarantee I'll be any help, but I'll always listen."

Bo smiled again, this time without help. He opened his mouth to say something, bring up his attraction since Damien wasn't due to be in that day. He took a breath, stopping when he heard the bell on the door. His eyes widened when he saw the half soaked man standing there, his blond hair stuck to his face.

"Dammit Dean!" Cody snapped playfully, walking back into the back of the store past the Employee Only door and grabbed a towel. "Don't you dare step off that mat!" He hurried back up, dropping the towel over Dean's head and rubbing vigorously, drying the other man's hair roughly. "Seth's going to kill you."

"What Seth doesn't know doesn't hurt me," Dean teased back, wrapping his arms around Cody and hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to come talk to you lately." He pulled back, looking over the damp apron. He gave a half smirk, looking the other man's face over, noticing the ring on Cody's hand when he was gently pushed away.

"I know you're busy. Seth told me about Titus' mom. I hope she's doing a little better. He saw the pained look in Dean's face and he knew that it wasn't that wonderful. "How's the shop? And Paige?"

Dean shrugged. "Good, she's good. Her and Nattie are having fight because she's always at the shop and when she's home Nattie is either asleep or at her job. Normal shit." He looked over, his blue eyes focusing on Bo as he started up towards them. They narrowed, unsure if he liked how easy it was for him to reach out and touch Cody's arm.

Cody turned to Bo, his smile catching as one worked its way on Bo's lips. "I want to introduce you. Bo this is Dean. He's a good friend of mine. Dean this is Bo, one of our new hires. He's doing really well too." He could see the blush on Bo's cheeks and the less than excited look on Dean's face. "So, anyway, what did you need?"

"I was just going to go on lunch. Did you want something? I was going out anyway," Bo said, smiling a little wider. "My treat."

"No, I'm okay, thanks though. Just remember to clock out. And don't be late back! If I'm stuck in this store alone, who knows what will happen," Cody joked, turning his attention back to Dean.

Bo nodded, walking away. He looked back up to Dean, smiling nervously as he held up and hand a waved. "Nice to meet you," he murmured, turning his back and walking towards the back. He could still feel the cold stare on the back of his neck, those icy blue eyes making him feel like he was intruding.

"Dean, be nice," Cody growled, looking over and watching as Bo disappeared past the back door. "He's a nice kid."

"He's got a thing for you," Dean said, looking down at Cody with an unamused frown. He stretched his neck side to side, popping a few vertebrae. He heard the door in the back open and his eyes instantly landed on Bo, his jaw tightening as the other man hurried past them, waving at Cody, telling him he'd be back soon.

"Dean," Cody scolded, his own blue eyes narrowing as they rested on Dean's rough face. "Leave the guy alone, we're just friends. I trained him, he's just being nice." He crossed his arms over his chest, sighing once he knew Bo was gone. "How've things been?"

"Well other than working like mad and attempting to see Seth before midnight, not too bad. I talked to Roman the other day, well Seth talked to him for me," he started, pulling his jacket off and following Cody into the store, back to the table. He draped his jacket on the back of the chair and dropped the towel over it. "He's doing good up in Iowa, made some friends. His neighbor is pretty funny from what Seth says."

Cody nodded, his face growing somber as his heart tumbled over and over in his chest. "He never got back to me," he murmured, looking up with watery eyes. He shook his head, blinking back the impending tears. He covered his face, trying to calm down. He really had been completely left behind.

Dean's eyes landed on the ring on Cody's finger again. "Listen Codes, I know Roman. He loves you, I don't care what he's out there doing, I know for a fucking fact that he's thinking about you."

Cody shrugged, swallowing down the lump in his throat, his body starting to shake lightly. He dropped his hands, meeting Dean's gaze. "Don't Dean. I know you encouraged him to leave me here. I can't say I blame you, but I don't want to think about him anymore than I already do," he forced out, resting his elbows on the table, his fists pressed into his cheeks as he leaned against them.

Dean nodded, his hands starting to fiddle in his lap. "You're actually wearing the ring now," he pointed out, watching as Cody's eyes just grew darker. "He spent a long time looking for that fucker. He drug me to every damn jewelry store over it."

Cody gave Dean a look of warning, his jaw tight over the words he wanted to say.

"I'm just saying. Who the hell goes through all shit that and still gives up the ring? I mean the terms weren't the best but he still gave it to you."

"Just fucking drop it!" Cody snapped, surprising himself and Dean at his outburst. "Just leave it alone. Okay? Don't you think I don't know all that? I think about it constantly! I live in our fucking house. I eat at the same table. The only thing I can't fucking do is sleep in our bed!" He shot up out of his chair, knocking it backwards. "If that's the only reason you came here was to rub it in my face how happy he is up there, then congratu-fucking-lations, you've made your point."

"Cody, that's not why I'm here," Dean sighed, shaking his head as he stood, pushing his chair in. "I didn't show up to upset you. I just wanted to talk to you about Roman and to see how you were doing. I know him leaving was hard. Hell it was hard on all of us, but I wanted to apologize. There were a lot of things I said to you that I should've have and there was a shit ton I shouldn't have said to Rome."

Cody let his hands fall to his sides as he listened to Dean, his heart pounding in his chest. "It's fine Dean. Just leave it alone okay. It's hard enough trying to hold on when obviously he's not going to come back, at least to me," he murmured, turning to go back to work. He heard the bell on the door and he looked up to see Bo walking back in with two bottles of soda. He gave a weak smile, shaking his head as he walked away towards the back. "If that's all Dean, you can let yourself out."

Dean stood there, more than a little frustrated. He knew it wasn't over for Cody or Roman. He knew it in the way he read Roman's emails, how he didn't bring up anyone other than his co-workers and his neighbor and he could tell just looking at Cody. He blew out a grunt, resting his hands on his hips as he grabbed his jacket and started towards the door. He narrowed his eyes at Bo, stopping just in front of him. He didn't speak, just measured the younger man up before he side stepped him and walked out the door.

Bo turned, watching as Dean walked back out into the heavy downpour. "Cody?" he asked, walking into the back to clock back in and hand Cody the soda he'd brought him. He saw that Cody was working on loading the cart up again, probably to restock the shelves. "Hey, you know you can talk to me anytime, about anything you want, right?" He smiled when Cody's less than happy face turned to him. "I'll always listen."

Cody smiled lightly at the gentle words. "Thanks Bo," he breathed, looking back at his books. He knew he could trust Bo, he was a good friend. He just wasn't sure if he was ready to talk about Roman that fully. "Well, it's going to be a long day with all this rain…."

Bo nodded, following Cody back out after hanging his jacket up and clocking back in. "So, that's a friend of yours?" he asked after they'd made it back out on the floor. "He's kinda…." He trailed off, unsure of how to phrase what he wanted to say.

"I know he's a bit mean. Don't worry, he'll warm up to you. He's just being protective right now," Cody explained, stopping and turning to Bo. "He's Roman's best friend."

Bo felt the shift in him, knowing that Roman had to be the one who gave Cody his ring. "Roman, he's your ex?" he asked, just wanting to make sure he was following along. He saw Cody pause before nodding, unable to speak the words. "If it's not asking too much, what really happened with you and him? You haven't said a word about him since the day I started and I'm assuming you and Dean weren't talking about weekend plans."

Cody gave a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. Leave it to Bo to be so sharp. "No, we were talking about Ro," he answered wistfully. "It's a long story."

"I don't mind. We've got all day and I'm all ears," Bo answered, wanting to know more about Cody. "Honest. I won't even ask questions unless you say it's okay." He earned a real chuckle that time.

* * *

Cody blew out a sigh as he stepped into the house, his clothes soaked from the outside. He just stripped there, grabbing his clothes and walking them to the dryer. He tossed them in and turned it on as he walked into his and Roman's room to pull on some shorts. He didn't linger. He walked back out into the living room and laid down on the couch, pulling the blanket up to his chin.

He was completely drained. Emotionally and physically. He'd told Bo the entire story of him and Roman, how it had all started up to the crash and how he'd lost his memory only to finally regain it after Roman had already left. He knew Bo was burning with questions but true to his word he didn't ask any. He smiled, thinking of how generous Bo was to his feelings. He shook his head, reaching under the couch for his laptop.

He hurried to his email, trying to hold back the hurt when he saw that another day had passed without Roman responding. He knew it shouldn't hurt so bad still, but it did. He groaned, composing another email. He typed slowly, thinking over every word he wanted to say before he ever touched the keys. He finished the short email, finding that he couldn't stop his fingers from typing out _I love you._ He sighed, knowing he wouldn't delete it and pressed send. Maybe his first had never made it or maybe it ended up in Roman's spam box. He held onto those ideas just a little more as he closed the lid and slid the computer back under the couch.

He had to hold onto that kind of hope, or else he wasn't sure what he was going to do. He closed his eyes as he turned to face the couch, one last sigh escaping his lips as he let exhaustion take him over.

* * *

(A/N): Angst, angst, angst, and Bo! Haha. So yeah, we're seeing what Cody's going through now while Roman is away. He's got someone else interested in him, even though he's a little oblivious to it. So, thoughts? I would love to hear them! As always, onwards and upwards loves! Title is In Pieces by Linkin Park.

JacktheSinister_JaketheJust


	5. Fight Inside

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 4.  
**

**Note: So, I never thought one character could get so much shade! Poor Bo! Haha. Anyway, I hope everyone's ready for this chapter! Because we'll call this the calm before the storm. Hope you like it! See you Monday! Enjoy! -JJ**

* * *

_**Fight Inside**_

Bo looked up from the creaky book cart, his eyes landing right on Cody as he worked on ringing a customer up. He smiled for a moment before he returned to his work. He'd spent the last couple months holding back everything that he felt. He tried not to openly flirt, knowing that he'd only get a warning glance from Damien if he heard it. He sighed as he started to restock the mystery section, his eyes once again landing on Cody and that perfect smile. He didn't work often with Cody, not with Cody's new schedule so he could take care of his baby nephew and how Damien had set it up so that they only worked together with him on shift it was hard to even talk to Cody.

He finished with the cart and returned it, his thoughts still heavy with how badly he wanted to at least let Cody know that he liked him. He knew he sounded like a teenager, but when he was around Cody it just made him giddy, and just hearing his voice made butterflies start fluttering madly around in his stomach.

Cody made him smile. It was simple. He enjoyed their conversations, how easily they got along. He enjoyed coming to work just so he could talk to him. They'd exchanged numbers, but Bo was still too scared to actually text or call.

Dark eyes moved up to where Cody was standing, the tall male right in the light from the sun as it streamed in through the large window, making Cody almost glow angelically. His breath caught in his throat, making it hard to breathe. He had to say something. He had to at least ask about this rule that Damien had brought up. He looked around the store, finding that Damien wasn't on the floor. He hoped he was busy in the office with paperwork, maybe he wouldn't interrupt him this time.

Bo rung his hands together nervously as he walked up to where Cody was looking outside, watching as people walked past. He smiled, heart pounding in his chest hard enough to steal his breath. "Hey, can I ask you something?" he started, reaching out and lightly running his fingers over Cody's arm. He felt his heart thump extra hard against his sternum when those blue eyes landed on him, and a smile touched the pink lips.

"Sure, what's up?" Cody asked casually, letting Bo grab his attention. He wasn't doing much staring out the window, just wondering if it would be a good day to take Baby Jey out for a little walk.

"How strict is Damien on the dating policy?" he asked, looking down at his feet for a moment, he missed the confusion that flashed in Cody's eyes. "I mean will he fire me if I ask a co-worker out?"

Cody started to chuckle. "What are you talking about? Last I knew, there wasn't a policy on dating here. Shit, Kofi and Alicia were a mess dating when she was here. It's mean to say, but I was glad when she graduated and went back to Ponte Vedra. Why?"

Bo was a little shocked, suddenly wondering why it was that Damien was picking on him about Cody. He swallowed, stuttering out around the beginning of a few words. He didn't understand why he was suddenly so nervous. It shouldn't be so hard to ask Cody if he'd go out to dinner with him.

"You must be wanting to ask Bayley out. She's pretty, so don't hold back," Cody encouraged, nudging his shoulder against Bo's. He chucking at the blush that seemed to creep up to Bo's cheeks. "Aw, c'mon, don't be so flustered over it."

"Actually, um…" Bo paused, thinking over everything he knew about Cody. He still saw the ring on Cody's hand every day but at the same time, he knew that Cody wasn't happy. After that day he'd told Bo about Roman, he hadn't brought him up again. In that moment, he knew he couldn't hold back and follow Damien's sudden policy. "I was wondering… if maybe I could… maybe take you out to dinner or something, sometime." He peeked up, finding a shocked look on Cody's face. "I mean, I know you're still not over your ex and that's fine, I just wanted to know if you'd ever consider maybe giving me a chance in the future."

Cody was speechless, unable to hold back the smile that was forcing through to his lips. He rubbed the back of his neck, biting his lower lip lightly. "Look, Bo…"

"I mean, if I'm not your type, that's cool too. I just kinda wanted to let you know that I liked you, ya know? Well, now that that's out I'll just go back to work," Bo hurried, unsure if he could handle flat out rejection. He'd seen that look plenty of times on people that he'd crushed on, only finding out after he'd asked them out that he wasn't what they were looking for.

"No, wait Bo," Cody said, reaching out and grabbing for Bo's arm. He smiled, his cheeks starting to heat up. He thought back to what Dean had said about Bo liking him. He'd been pretty oblivious to the younger male, his entire focus stuck on Roman. He took a breath, letting it out slowly. He was conflicted. While he did find Bo attractive, it was hard to give in. He was still holding on tight to the last little bit of hope he had that maybe Roman would come back. But at the same time, he knew he was going to have to let go since he hadn't heard a single word in over five months from the Samoan.

Bo stood there, the silence between him and Cody deafening. He swallowed hard, his dark eyes searching Cody's light ones for some sort of answer. He could see the internal conflict and for a moment he was going to pull free from Cody's gentle grip and walk away.

Cody closed his eyes for a moment before he smiled again. "I'm just in shock. The thing is, it wouldn't be fair right now to go out with you. I'm still not over Roman and I wouldn't want that to affect whatever it is that we could have. So, I'm not saying no, but I'll think about it. I still need a little closure before I can move on, okay?"

Bo nodded, his other hand reaching over and touching Cody's hand on his arm. "I can handle that. I can wait for you," he answered, watching a darker red rest on Cody's cheeks. "I promise."

Cody shook his head, chuckling at the other male. He couldn't deny that he felt a spark between them. They meshed well together, they got along, and he was almost sure that if he gave Bo the chance to show him, a romance could easily bud between them. "Get back to work," he teased, pointing towards the back of the store. "Romance needs restocked."

"Yes sir!" Bo gave a silly salute before he laughed and started back towards the back of the store. He was happy that he'd gotten everything off his chest and while he hadn't gotten turned down flat, he was a little disappointed. He perked up when he thought about Cody's words though. He had a chance. It may take some time, but he had a chance.

"Mr. Dallas," Damien spoke gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest as he walked up to the other man. His beady eyes glared down at Bo. "I find it overwhelmingly irritating that you find my policies to be taken less than seriously." His gaze narrowed when Bo's brows furrowed in frustration.

"Mr. Sandow, I'm not trying to go against the rules here, but it's kind of hard when I'm the only one you're putting them on. I like Cody, it's not a secret and I think it's stupid that I can't say something about it without you getting involved somehow," Bo stated, standing straight. "I'm not trying to be disrespectful and I apologize if it seems that way."

Damien felt the anger inside him start to bubble. "I am simply looking out for my business. Relationships are not to be part of this work place and I will not allow them," Damien pressed on, standing his ground. "These policies are enforced for everyone, not just yourself."

"Damien, leave the kid alone," Cody snapped, walking up behind Bo. "Look, his personal life doesn't have anything to do with this place. You've always had the rule that our personal lives stayed at the door, and for the most part they do. You're just now making this a rule, it's ridiculous."

Damien stood a little taller, his entire body stiffening. "You're going to challenge my authority in this matter Cody?" he asked, his voice growing low and deep.

"Don't go there with me Dame. I've known you too long for that kind of talk. Look, if you're tormenting him because of me, just knock it off. My personal life has nothing to do with this shop or you," Cody snapped, his face growing hard his lips thinning into a tight line. "Go ahead and finish up Bo. I'll be in the back."

Damien followed Cody, his warning to Bo completely forgotten. "Cody!" he growled once the door shut behind them. "What is the matter with you? You're allowing yourself to lead him on when you're clearly not over Roman."

Cody turned to face Damien, his eyes blazing. "Don't you fucking bring him up right now. I'm not leading anyone on. I told him that I would think about it. What does that have to do with you anyway?"

Damien rolled his eyes, scoffing. "Could you date someone else? Or are you going to do the same thing that you did with Drew?" He felt a burning sting on the side of his face as his head snapped to the side. His eyes grew wide.

Cody's hand stung from the instant slap. "Don't you bring that up to me. I know I fucked up even though I couldn't remember. Just stay out of my life. Besides, weren't you the one to tell me to move on anyway? Because I distinctly remember you saying that to me a couple of times."

Damien just stood there in shock. He hadn't fully registered that Cody had slapped him or even the words that had followed. He just knew that he was trying to look out for his best friend and his feelings. He didn't want Cody to rush into a relationship just to forget Roman, but at the same time he didn't want Cody to try something new without at least hearing that it was completely over with Roman. His eyes followed Cody as he turned and walked away, the green apron being ripped off and thrown towards the time clock.

* * *

Seth smiled, snuggling closer into the hot body next to him. "We really need to get a shower," he murmured, his still sweaty skin sticking to his lover's. "You still smell like motor oil and sweat." He chuckled, hearing Dean's amused snort above him.

"I would've gotten one when I walked in if you hadn't attacked me the moment I walked in the door," Dean teased back, running a hand through the brown and blond strands of damp hair. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not fucking complaining, getting jumped the moment I walk in the door is pretty fucking hot still."

Seth couldn't help but laugh, resting his head on Dean's shoulder as he looked up to press a gentle kiss to the slightly scruffy chin. "And you need to shave."

"Alright, that's it, get offa me," Dean grumbled playfully, pulling away from Seth and sitting up in the bed. He looked down at the pouting man with a smile. "I'm sorry I'm working so much, Titus was thinking about getting us some extra help for a little while but between being at the hospital and trying to get things with his brothers figured out, he doesn't have the time."

Seth shook his head, sitting up and leaning back against Dean's headboard. "I know baby," he murmured, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. "I'm not mad, I just miss you, that's all." His brown eyes cracked open. "Speaking of missing people, I'm really starting to miss Rome."

Dean nodded, reaching over to the bedside table and grabbed his pack of smokes. He pulled one from the pack with his lips and held it in place as he searched for his lighter. "Now, I just had that fucking thing," he growled, looking all around the table top. "Seth, did you steal my lighter again?"

Seth shrugged, sliding back down into the bed. "No idea what you're talking about," he answered, looking up with a smile. He curled up against the pillow. "You promised you'd try and quit."

"I am trying, but unless you want some psycho for a boyfriend, I suggest you let me do it slowly," Dean warned, giving up and putting the white cylinder back into the hard pack and tossed it on the table. "Speaking of Roman, have you heard anything about him coming back or anything?"

Seth shook his head, leaning in and resting his head in Dean's lap.

Dean groaned, rubbing his calloused hands over his face roughly. "Fuck," he muttered, dropping his hand so one could play with the long damp strands. "He's gotta come back or call or something."

"What's on your mind?"

Dean saw the concern in Seth's eyes. He knew he couldn't keep his thoughts from the other man, not after they'd been eating him up at work for the last couple months. "There's this kid at the bookstore. I went in to talk to Cody a while ago on my lunch and he was flirting up a storm. I don't know if Cody really didn't notice it or what but that kid's got his eyes right on him," he explained, looking down at Seth's wide smile, the dark eyes closed. "It's not fucking funny Seth, this kid's really interested and Roman's not even here to tell him to back off. Fuck, I was felt like a goddamned watch dog."

At that Seth chuckled, covering his mouth with one hand as he tried to hold it in. "A watch dog huh? At least you're a good one," he said, opening his eyes and looking up into Dean's murderous ones. "You know, before Roman left, we would be on opposite sides of this conversation."

Dean took a moment to think about the words, knowing that it was the truth. He shook his head, sighing. "That's not the point right now Seth, we don't know if Roman's coming home and there's some fucking guy sniffing around."

"You're right Dean, we _don't _know if Roman is coming home. That's why we should leave it alone," Seth answered, pressing a kiss to Dean's flat stomach. "Besides, Cody isn't ready to move on. I'm not worried about some kid that works with him, and you shouldn't be either."

"You can't just tell Roman to come home or something?"

Seth groaned, growing irritated with the questioning. "No, I can't. Cody asked me not to say anything to him and I won't. This is something that needs to be said between them, for once we need to stay out of it," Seth reasoned, watching as Dean's blue eyes widened. "Yes, I know what I just said."

Dean shrugged, letting silence fall around both of them again. He was thinking hard on his last conversation with Roman, how he'd encouraged Roman to move, to leave everything behind and start over. He sighed out loud, pulling free from Seth so he could flip the covers back and stand.

"Stop thinking so much Dean, you're only going to give yourself a headache," Seth said, sitting up in the bed, watching as Dean turned to him in all his nude glory. "Are you hinting at something?"

Dean shook his head, resting his hands on his bare hips. "What if this is my fault," he murmured, looking down at his feet. He heard the soft padding footsteps and the creak of his door as it was pushed open. He looked back to find Moxley sauntering into his bedroom.

Seth sighed, patting the bed next to him. He ran his fingers over Moxley when she laid down next to him, her soft purr vibrating against his hip. "None of this is your fault Dean. You told Roman what you thought. No one can blame you for telling him to go on. And you sure as hell didn't tell him to do what he did to Cody. I swear that pisses me off, I just want to knock him around for taking him out sleeping with him and then cutting him off."

Dean nodded, more than a little irritated with his best friend over that too. "I just wonder what would've happened if I'd told him to stay like you did. Things would be different."

Seth eased Moxley away from him, ignoring her scowl of discontent. "Then I would be worried. You did what you always do, being painfully honest and blunt. There's no use in thinking about the 'what if's' or 'could've been's' right now okay? Just relax. Things will get better, Christmas is coming up and you know Paula will be blowing Roman's phone up to get him to come home for it," he explained, smiling. "And maybe to complain that I'm over so much."

Dean shook his head, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's waist, pulling him in for a peck on the lips. "You're devilish, you know that?" he questioned playfully, smiling at the way Seth nipped at his lower lip. "Yes you do."

* * *

Cody heard the light knocking at the door. He hurried to grab it, balancing a bottle and baby Jey in his other arm. He didn't smile, just stood there almost in shock at the blond woman on the other side. He hiked Jey up in his hip just a little as he took a step back. "Paula," he murmured, looking down at his feet. "Come in, the place is a bit of a mess right now. I wasn't really expecting company, other than Jey here." He turned his back to the woman, looking over his house. He bit his lower lip, knowing that she would see all of his secrets easily.

Paula smiled, stepping in and shutting the door. She could see that some of the pictures had collected a thin layer of dust, that the once pristine couch had a body groove in it from being slept on every night, the pillow and messy blanket tell tale signs. She sighed inwardly, noticing just how much thinner Cody looked. She knew he wasn't eating right. "Here, hand me little Jey."

Cody nodded, handing the six month over and the bottle. "He's a little gassy," he warned, leading her over the couch. He pushing his blankets away almost embarrassed. "He'll probably take a nap after he eats. I have his portable crib set up in the spare room."

Paula nodded, smiling down into the bronze face, the grey eyes wide and watching as he latched onto the nipple and started guzzling his formula. Easily, she started to hum, watching Cody as he moved around and picked things up. "Cody, go ahead and sit down, we aren't strangers," she said gently, wondering how awkward Cody felt.

Cody nodded again, moving over to the recliner and sitting down. He looked over, watching as Jey ate happily. He hated to admit how much Jey reminded him of Roman. The baby boy had the same beautiful grey eyes, the same bronzed colored skin only darker because of his mother's skin tone. He had a beautiful toothless smile and looked a lot like Jon, with Trinity's nose. Cody knew he'd grow up to be handsome, probably a stud just like his father had before he'd met his mother. The thought always made him chuckle.

Paula looked up, holding Jey closer to her, cradling him like she had her own boys so many years before. "You seem to be doing fine taking care of Jey here," she said, pulling the near empty bottle back and lifting Jey up to rest against her shoulder. She began to pat his back, giggling at the way the small little face curled into her neck, the soft curls on his head tickling her cheek.

Cody nodded. "He keeps me on my toes, that's for sure," he answered, watching as Paula leaned back and held Jey on her chest, the little body slowly slipping off into sleep. "Every time. Get a little food in him and he's out like a light," he said, standing and walking over. "Here, I'll put him in his bed."

Paula nodded, allowing Cody to scoop up the precious cargo. "Just like Roman at that age," she murmured, catching the way Cody seemed to flinch at the mention of the other man's name. She didn't dare say anything about it. She sat there, hands in her lap waiting for Cody to come back.

Cody shut the door, turning his full attention back to Paula. "Sorry bout that. He's such a snuggler," he said, moving to sit back down in the recliner.

"I came here because I wanted to talk to you," she started, taking a breath. "Cody, we've always had a great relationship. Even when everything happened over the last year, I still thought of you as my own. That's why I wanted to apologize for not giving you Roman's new phone number. Seth's been driving me absolutely crazy over it since Roman left."

"No, you don't have to say all that…." Cody stopped instantly, Paula holding up a hand for him to let her finish.

"Yes I do. I really wanted to come over and give it to you the moment he gave it to Sika and I but he asked us not to give it out to anyone and I had to respect that, no matter how much I hated it. He didn't even want Seth to have it, and that boy is more like a brother than a friend." She chuckled at that moment, thinking that Seth being over was at least entertaining.

Cody smiled, rubbing his hands together. "Thank you Paula, I appreciate it and I understand. I did a lot to him, I know you know so I won't beat around the bush. I deserved it. I'm just surprised he let me move back home," he replied, looking down at his hands. "How… how is he?"

"He's good. He really likes it up there, his neighbor is so funny. He's from Ireland and him and Roman spend a lot of time hanging out together. I've only heard him talk once though." She couldn't help but chuckle. "He likes his office mate and his co-workers. Hates the snow though. And he says the students are a lot like here. Some care, others don't."

Cody nodded, swallowing hard. While it caused his heart to ache hearing about Roman being happy, it made him smile. "I'm glad he's happy," he forced out, his voice starting to crack under the strain. "Would you like some tea?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Paula stood and followed Cody into the kitchen, finding a pot in the sink with a bowl of half eaten noodles. "Cody, you've got to eat something other than noodles." She saw the shame in Cody's eyes when he turned towards her, his eyes refusing to meet her grey ones.

"You sound just like him," he said, reaching for some coffee mugs. He set them on the counter and turned the tap on to fill the coffee pot with. He was silent as the pot filled and he poured it into the coffee machine and turned it on. He just ran the water through, earning steaming hot water moments later. "He used to hate these things too."

Paula nodded, remember many times when Roman would come home frustrated with Cody's eating habits. "Are you doing well Cody, not just with Roman being gone, but in general?" she finally asked, walking over and resting her hand on his arm. "Even if you and Roman aren't together, you're still one of my favorites. Don't tell Seth that, I'll never hear the end of it." She shared a laugh with Cody, her smile bright at the way Cody's eyes lit up.

Cody poured the water into their mugs and grabbed the sugar bowl. He placed all three on the table before he walked back to the cabinet over the coffee pot and pulled out a small box of tea bags. He took it to the table and sat down, Paula already sitting, a spoon next to both of their mugs. "Seth comes by a lot. He makes me work out with him, that's another reason why I've lost a little weight. With Dean at the shop so much and with the extra space in between his shoots, he forces me out of the house."

Paula nodded, smiling. "I bet. Seth never could sit still. Hasn't changed a bit." She took an offered tea bag and dipped it into her mug, reaching for the sugar bowl and scooping out a single spoonful and dropping it in. She stirred her tea, letting the bag steep as she took a breath. "I didn't just come here to check on you Cody."

Cody looked up, seeing the slight apprehension on her mature features. Her brow was a little more creased, her eyes tired, her once plump cheeks starting to thin out. Actually, she'd thinned out a bit compared to what she had been. She was still rounded, but less so now. He wasn't completely sure he wanted to know what she had to say.

She smiled, reaching across the table and taking on of Cody's hands into hers. "Roman's coming home for Christmas. He'll be here around noon on the tenth. Sika and I are having a surprise barbeque. And I want you to be there. I know he's being stubborn right now, but he needs to meet you half way. Seth told me you want to tell him that you can remember and that would be a good time.

Cody felt his heart pounding, his breath stolen by the hope that was starting to flood his entire bloodstream. He'd get to see Roman again, he'd be able to hear his voice, and hopefully feel him in his arms at least once more. He was happy but nervous. It had been six months and he still wasn't sure. He was still holding onto the hope that maybe Roman would want him back, want their life back, but at the same time he was trying to move forward and live his life.

Paula smiled, patting Cody's hand gently. He knew Roman still loved Cody. She liked to call it a mother's intuition and after Sika had said that Roman would be back on the first flight he could get, she knew he had to be anxious to see everyone. "Things will work out Cody, at least you'll have your chance to finally talk to him face to face. And he'll have to face this."

Cody only nodded, his mind working faster than it ever had before.

* * *

(A/N): So, we're getting closer to Roman coming home! How exciting is that? I know most of you are so excited to see where this plane crash is going to happen! And we all know it's going to go down like a plane crash. So what's everyone think of Bo? So, thoughts are appreciated! As always onwards and upwards! Title is Fight Inside by Red.

JacktheSinister_JaketheJust


	6. Imaginary Enemy

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 5.**

**Note: I hope everyone likes this chapter! I'm still so far gone from the Shield split that I'm off in no man's land. Not to mention I've just been busy this last week so I hope this chapter is up to par. I'm certainly not a fan of it, but it's one of those necessary evils. So, anyway, hope you like it, we'll be seeing some old faces! See you Monday! Enjoy! -JJ**

* * *

_**Imaginary Enemy**_

Cody smiled as he walked around the shop, almost bouncing along with the song playing in his head. Roman would be home in a couple days and him and then he'd finally have the chance to tell Roman that _he_ was back, that they could at least work on what they had. He lifted the couple books from the cart and set them on the shelf, turning when he heard the bell for the front door open. He smiled a little wider, Bo walking in with two disposable cups of steaming coffee. "Morning!" he greeted, his voice sounding perky even to his own ears. He would've chuckled if it hadn't been for the almost confused look on Bo's face that had taken his attention.

"You're happy today," Bo said, smiling back. He'd never heard Cody sound so happy. He handed over the second cup of coffee and started back towards the back. He couldn't help but look back at where Cody was slowly sipping at the hot beverage before he opened the door. He could help thinking that Cody was so much more handsome when he smiled so genuinely.

He pulled off his jacket and pulled on his apron before clocking in and walking back out, his coffee in hand. He took a drink, smiling as the warm liquid warmed his insides. He hated that Florida had been in a small cold snap the last couple days. "So, are you going to spill on why you're so happy?" he asked, once he'd found Cody again, his brown eyes finding Damien only a couple rows away. He swallowed hard, the black eyes focused hard on him, but refusing to speak. Him and Damien hadn't spoken much past Damien giving him chores and orders to complete.

Cody couldn't help but smile a little wider as he looked at the carpeted floor. "Roman's coming home this weekend. So, I'll get the chance to at least tell him I'm back to normal. I mean, it'll be nice to see his face and just hear his voice," he explained, looking up into the almost hurt face. His heart pounded in his chest, thinking about what he'd said. He wasn't trying to be callous to Bo's feelings or rub Bo's face in it. "Shit, Bo, I'm sorry."

Bo shook his head, smiling brightly. "No, you're good. I'm really happy for you. I hope it works out," he said, waving hand in dismissal. Truthfully, he was a little disappointed at the circumstances but as long as Cody was happy, that's all that really mattered.

The bell for the front door went off again and both Bo and Cody looked up. Cody's smile grew even wider at the familiar face.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in. Haven't seen you in months," Cody called, the dark face grinning back at him. He walked over, wrapping his arms around the other man in a quick bro-hug. "Did you get lost on the way back from Ghana, Kofi?"

Kofi only smiled. "Man, you wouldn't believe how much stuff I had to go through. And between my aunts and uncles fighting over stuff it was a mess. I hope you never have an estate willed to you," he explained, running a hand through his micro braids. "Seriously though, how's the shop? Where's Damien?"

"Probably sulking in the back somewhere," Cody muttered, missing the confused face. "C'mon, you can meet our new co-workers. Well, at least Bo, Bayley will be in tomorrow." He led Kofi over to where Bo was working on restocking shelves. "Bo this is Kofi, he's the one we've been missing for the last six months. Kofi this is Bo, my new helper since you ran off on me."

Kofi snickered, offering his hand. "Nice to meet you, we'll be working together a lot," he said, the other man taking his hand and offering a firm, friendly handshake. "So Damien's in the back? I gotta talk to him about getting back on the schedule, and apologize for being gone so long."

Cody nodded, throwing his thumb over his shoulder towards the back. "If he's grouchy, I apologize. Things have been… _interesting _while you've been gone," he said, shrugging.

Kofi's eyebrow rose, his dark eyes following Cody before they looked over at Bo. He was sure things had changed while he was gone, he just wasn't sure how much.

* * *

Cody was watching the clock, his shift ending in another ten minutes. He was just excited to be picking Jey up and meeting with Seth to work on planning for the party at Paula's. His mind was completely focused on the party when he pushed the cart back to the back, a smile plastered to his lips as his heart started to beat faster and faster. Just thinking about Roman made him smile.

It wasn't just Roman that had him in a good mood, but the possibilities that came along with him. Things could be right again, he could fix the problems he'd caused. It was what kept him going day to day. It made it easier to sleep at night.

He stopped the cart, looking for the newest shipment of mystery novels that were supposed to go out. He knew he better at least get them ready for the next day or else Kofi was going to be confused on what it was he was supposed to be doing. He finally found the box, stacked at the top of a tower of four large boxes. Mentally, he cursed, knowing that he was going to have trouble getting it down.

He never had these problems when Roman was around, the thought with a smile, thinking of plenty of times that Roman had snuck in the back to help him down stack boxes. He stepped on his tiptoes, reaching high enough to get a hold of the bottom corners and started to tug. His heart dropped when he felt the entire stack start to wiggle. It wasn't until he saw the top box of the stack next to him start to fall that he closed his eyes and waited for the painful impact.

Cody didn't feel the pain of the books falling from the flimsy cardboard box. He didn't hear the loud crash as they landed on the floor. Actually, he felt nothing, heard nothing but a deep grunt. His blue eyes opened in confusion, focusing on Bo's determined face. He looked from Bo's body to the box, trying to hold back the gasp when he realized that Bo had caught the box from falling on top of him.

After Bo had managed to get the box back into place he realized just how close they were, how Bo was pushed flush against the back of him. He swallowed hard, reaching up and helping straighten the box out on the stack. He could feel heat in his cheeks as a bolt of lightening shot through him. He felt Bo take a step back just after they had the stack back to normal.

"You shouldn't be working with these if you aren't paying attention you know," Bo teased, chuckling lightly. He swallowed hard, looking into Cody's reddened face when he turned. He rubbed the back of his neck, telling himself to calm down. His heart shouldn't be pounding as hard as it was from being so close to Cody, especially when he was focused on someone else. "Be careful next time."

Cody only nodded, the blush spreading across Bo's flustered face more than cute. He smiled, thanking Bo quietly. "You think you can help me get that other box down? Maybe I won't kill us."

Bo only chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, c'mon lets get this done so you can go."

Damien had been watching from the employee door, a dark look on his face. He wouldn't say anything, knowing that him and Cody would just end up in another argument. Truthfully, him and Cody hadn't even spoken since he'd suffered from that slap to the face and he really had no want to talk to Cody over his behavior. He just stared, his eyes narrowed, his mouth a thin, tight line. He was so focused on watching as Bo helped Cody with the boxes that he didn't notice as Bayley came bouncing up to him.

Bayley looked over Cody and Bo with a smile, wondering if maybe one day there would be something there. Her eyes looked up into Damien's. She could see the hateful spark there. She hated how much Damien hated Bo's affections towards Cody. While she didn't know Cody's history, she knew it wasn't Damien's place to get involved in Cody's personal affairs. "You know Mr. Sandow," she started, those dark eyes slowly looking over at her. "Bo's feelings are genuine. He really likes Cody and he wouldn't hurt him if he had a chance. I know you and Cody are good friends, but Bo's a nice guy. I just wish that you could see that too."

Damien's brows furrowed, Bayley smiling brightly at him before she rested her hand on his arm. His face was still dark, her bright attitude only easing up his frustrations slightly. He felt her warm hand slide from his arm before she turned and walked back towards the front of the store. He shook his head, telling himself that he was young, naïve.

* * *

Brad tapped his pencil against his grade book, letting his mind wander. He was glad for the semester to be over, for more than one reason. First off he'd had a terrible group of students in one class and he was absolutely thrilled that he was close to never seeing them again. Then he was happy because Roman was coming back. He'd called the day before the check in and see how he was doing and he got the amazing news that Roman would be back in Pensacola for the holidays. It had certainly revved up his mood to where his new office mate couldn't even mess it up.

Which led his thoughts to said office mate. When Roman had left, Brad hadn't expected to be settled with the most uptight, arrogant, asshole he'd ever met, that was if he talked. He groaned, that man always souring his mood. They hadn't met of good terms.

_Brad moved some papers around the room, almost lost without Roman there. The office, still a small one, felt huge with him being alone. He hated it, almost as much as he hated that Roman had left completely. He sat down at his desk, looking over the completely empty one. "Roman," he murmured, leaning back in his chair and cradling the back of his head with his hands. His personal, romantic, feelings aside, he missed Roman on a professional level. They were good friends, they worked well together and they'd shared their office for years. He wasn't sure if he could handle a new office mate or not._

_He turned in the chair, looking at his own desk before he started humming, the tune starting off happily enough. It had been a song him and Roman had heard on the radio one day, one that had gotten stuck in his head too easily. A smile touched his lips as he closed his eyes and began to sing softly. It didn't take long before he was singing out loud, off key and out of tune. He didn't care, he was just thinking about Roman and him doing the same on days they were stuck in the office together, normally during finals and midterms._

"_You're a terrible singer. Are you trying to kill my ear drums?"_

_Brad suddenly stopped, his eyes narrowing as he turned his chair to face the door. "And, your point being?" he asked, his voice dropping, warning the other man standing in the doorway that his terrible singing would be the least of his worries. "Can I help you?"_

"_Are you Brad Maddox?"_

_Brad stood, resting his hands on his hips as he looked the bigger male over, the dark wavy hair slicked back just so, a small part on the left side. His dark blue eyes were piercing, and lacked excitement. Actually, they seemed rather dull with unamusment. He had broad shoulders, a white shirt with the first two buttons undone under the black suit jacket. For a moment he almost thought that the man was handsome, almost. He hated that this man was taller than him, an easy task honestly with his five foot ten frame. "Who's asking?" he snapped, taking a step closer. He stopped when the other man walked in, and set down a box on what used to be Roman's desk. "Hey! Who said you could just drop your shit here?"_

"_I'm Wade Barrett, your new office mate," the other man introduced, his Liverpool accent thick. "I just transferred in from the University of Liverpool and they settle me with someone like you. How did one, like yourself even become a professor?" He stood a little taller, a smirk touching his lips at the way he saw fury settle in the other man's face. "Strike a nerve did I?"_

"_Yeah, a whole fucking lot of them," Brad snapped, turning back to his desk and grabbing his things. He already didn't like this ignorant asshole. He couldn't believe that he was going to have to share the office with him. He turned back to the other man, a smirk on the thin lips. He snorted, gathering his things before he turned and left. "Don't forget to lock up."_

He sighed, shaking his head. Things hadn't gotten much better after that. Him and Wade weren't friendly with each other. Most of the time they ignored the other. It was always tense between them, something that made working more than an hour or so in the same room harder and harder. He'd barely made it through midterms and finals had been even more of a nightmare. He shook his head, tearing his thoughts of the last semester. While he was glad that it was almost over, he couldn't explain how excited he was that Roman was coming home.

He'd already talked to Paula about her BBQ. He'd volunteered to get some decorations and plan out the finer details. He sighed, thinking about how excited Paula seemed for the help, bringing up that Cody would certainly need it.

Of course Cody would be there, he was Roman's ex. He groaned, throwing his pencil across the room, barely missing Wade as he walked in. Brad's eyes were unenthused and he didn't apologize as he turned to his desk.

He was too flustered thinking of speaking to Cody. He hadn't spoken to Cody since Halloween of the previous year, knowing that the other man didn't want to speak to him and he didn't have much to say to him either. He blew out a sigh, one hand coming to fist in his hair as he thought of Roman himself. He still had a thing for him, a big thing that he wanted to at least explore a little more with Roman coming home. He didn't know if that was a good idea or not. He battled with his thoughts.

"Your pencil," Wade said, picking up the offending object and looking it over. The eraser was covered in teeth marks from Brad chewings over the last couple days. He straightened out as he stood and tossed it back onto Brad's desk, uncaring of the marks in made in the grade book. "Doesn't belong on the floor. It's juvenile to throw things."

"Oh for the love of God!" Brad finally snapped, finally reaching his boiling point. He'd had enough with Wade's pompous attitude and adding the emotional weight of Roman coming back had him wound even tighter. "Are you even fucking human? Can't you see that I've got a lot going on and all you do is make it worse? I'm sick of your mouth and your condescending remarks to me! All the time that's all I hear out of you mouth!"

Wade stood there, looking Brad up and down before the other man stood. He went to say something, but just as soon as his mouth opened, Brad messily gathered his things and walked towards the door, the smaller man's shoulder hitting him in the bicep as he passed, slightly knocking him back.

Brad had made it all the way down to his car before he realized that he'd left out without his keys. He groaned, contemplating if he would just walk home to avoid seeing Barrett again that day. He'd just meet up the next day with Cody and Paula to discuss the party. For a moment, it sounded like the perfect idea. That was until he remembered that his car keys were on the same ring as his house keys and he had to have those.

He groaned in frustration and aggravation, storming back up to the office. For the first time he hoped that Barrett hadn't left, or else he was going to have to track down one of the security officers to open his office. Once he made it back he almost sighed in relied, finding that Barrett was still silently getting ready to leave as well. He just strode past, never sparing a passing glance as Wade left the room in silence.

Brad quickly grabbed his keys from the back of his desk but paused when he sat the red wrapper of his favorite candy bar. He didn't remember having candy that day, and he would certainly remember having that delicious bar of chocolate. His eyes gazed over the blue sticky note underneath. He cocked his head to the side, heart pounding when he saw the delicate scrawl was in fact his office mate's.

_Chin up_

Brad slowly smiled, his lips only turning up softly. He looked over his shoulder at the closed door, thinking that maybe Wade wasn't nearly as mean and pompous as he'd previously thought.

* * *

Cody smiled, bouncing baby Jey on his knee as they sat in the grass in the backyard of Paula's house. The sky was bright, much like Cody's mood. He looked up into the blue field, breathing in the fresh air. Him and Seth were sitting there, watching Jey play with hand toys while they worked on plans for the party.

Seth laid back in the grass, his eyes following a lone cloud as it passed through his field of vision. "You excited?" he asked, smiling as his eyes closed. "I'm excited."

"You know, I wonder sometimes if you and Ro shoulda got together, the way you talk," Cody teased, laughing at the way Seth's face wrinkled up in disgust.

"That's just gross. Roman's like my brother. He's been there for me my entire life, I can't picture him as anything other than a snot nosed second grader missing his two front teeth chasing a set of bullies away from me. And I don't want to imagine that when we're having _fun_," Seth laughed out, hearing Cody's light hearted laugh for the first time in months. He'd truly missed it.

"So you don't think about a baby Dean when you're in the middle?" Cody asked, biting his lower lip to keep from laughing louder. He watched as Seth thought for a second before he laughed again, flopping back on the grass and looking up into the bright blue sky. He reached out and scooted Jey closer to his side to keep the baby steady in his sitted position.

Seth closed his eyes, listening to birds chirping around him and the wind. It was quiet other than Jey's constant giggling and the shaking of the rattle in his hand. That was until he heard footsteps. His eyes cracked open and they landed on Brad, his eyes widening.

Brad smiled, waving lightly as he walked up to the two. "Hey, Paula said you're looking for some help," he said softly, rubbing the back of his neck as he stopped. He was beyond nervous actually talking with Cody, sure that there was probably some animosity between them still.

"Brad?" Cody asked, sitting up and looking the other man over. "Holy shit it is you!" He hurried to his feet before he strode over and wrapped his arms around Brad in a quick hug. "How've you been? I haven't seen you in so long." He pulled back, looking Brad over.

Brad was confused, but forced a smile out. "I'm good, still teaching," he started, looking from Cody's blue eyes to Seth's narrowed browns. "Um how've you been?"

"Great! I finally remember everything so things are pretty good again," Cody explained, unable to miss the almost hurt look on Brad's features. "Hey, you okay? You don't seem so happy to see me or Seth."

Brad looked down at the ground. His head was reeling from the information. He hadn't thought about Cody remembering. He almost hated how much it hurt his heart to know that with that kind of information that there would never be a chance for him and Roman. "I'm good, can I um… can we talk for a minute? Just us?"

Cody nodded, turning back to Jey and scooting him closer to Seth. "I'll be back in a second," he said, patting Jey's head really quick before smiling and standing up. Him and Brad walked to the other side of the yard, just far enough that Seth couldn't overhear their conversation. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to um.., get a couple things straight between me and you. Ya know before Roman comes home," Brad explained, his voice starting to shake. He looked down at the grass before looking up into the blue eyes. He rubbed his left forearms with his right hand, swallowing as he saw the small smile on Cody's lips. He was waiting for the inevitable.

Cody was a little confused at first, wondering what Brad could even be talking about. "If you're talking about Halloween then it's all good. That was over a year ago and I know Roman was just doing what I told him to and you're straight. I'm not mad or anything," he laughed, resting his hands on his hips. His smile started to fall when he saw that Brad wasn't smiling.

Brad stood there, thinking over his options. He could easily play everything off, leave it what had happened between him and Roman after Halloween and never speak of after that again. He shook his head, knowing that he already felt guilty, he didn't want it eating at him every time he saw Cody. "It's not about Halloween," he said finally, his voice low, cautious. "I guess he didn't tell you about what happened after that."

Cody shook his head, his heart starting to pound. He took in the guilty, almost worried features before he swallowed hard, his arms coming up to cross across his chest. "What happened?" he asked, his own voice low, showing that he wanted answers.

Brad took a breath, thinking over the words before he finally slowly explained what had happened the night they'd been drinking and then their kiss before Roman had left. He finished, his eyes focused on the grass. "I mean, if you hate me that's cool. I don't blame you," he said quickly, looking up to see that Cody's face was turned to the side, a hard look on his features. He swallowed hard, biting his lower lip viciously. "Look, I mean I like Roman, but I know that you and him belong together so you don't have to worry about me. It was probably just a stupid passing thing anyway. I just… I just wanted to tell you, keep everything open between us because I do respect you that much and I do enjoy talking to you."

Cody nodded, forcing a smile on his lips. While he was angry, he was more hurt than anything. He'd never expected Roman to do some of the things he'd done, and indulging Brad's little crush was one of them. "I'm pissed, but I'm glad you told me," he said stiffly, shaking his head as he lowered his arms to his sides. "So, now that that's cleared up, you wanna help us on this party?"

Brad was more than a little surprised. "You're not going to hit me?" he asked without thinking. "I mean, I'm okay with that, but I expected at least a little retribution."

Cody shook his head, knowing that he really couldn't be mad. "We weren't together, I can't get mad at you for that. Truthfully, I'm in shock still and a little hurt, that's all," he explained, scuffing the toe of his shoe on the grass. "I mean I can still punch you if you want."

"No! I'm good!" Brad said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Believe me, I'm good." He smiled, him and Cody sharing a small bit of laughter. He couldn't help but smile, the weight on his shoulders lifting and making it easier for him. "So, you're playing daddy Cody?"

Cody shook his head, looking over to where Seth was handing the baby rattle back and forth with Jey. "He's my nephew. I watch him when Trin and Jon are both working or just need some time off."

Brad nodded, covering his wide smile at the way Seth seemed to look panicked when the high pitched wail emitted through the air. "Apparently, Seth's not ready for this kind of thing. Better go save picture boy."

Cody had to laugh at that one. "Yeah, c'mon we'll go inside and get things started," he suggested, motioning for Brad to follow him. He walked over to Jey and picked him up, cooing at him until the fake cries stopped and bright, toothless grin was shot back at him.

Brad watched, seeing just how happy Cody was and how nervous and excited he seemed that Roman was coming home. He reached out and pulled a few blades of grass from the silky curly hair. "You think he's going to be surprised?" he asked, looking over at Cody as they started inside. He saw the nod, and wondered if Roman knew about Cody's memory or not. He hadn't heard anything about it, but then again he didn't hear much about home from Roman, just the typical talk of how the other is doing and work. He was sure things were going to be interesting.

* * *

(A/N): Alright guys! Next chapter is going to be the big BBQ! It's the chapter everyone is waiting for! But we did have to have some Brad! I couldn't forget that big booty cutie! XD Thoughts are wonderful! I would love them! Onwards and upwards! Title is Imaginary Enemy by The Used.

JacktheSinister_JaketheJust


	7. Crash My Party

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 6.**

**Note: Here's the anticipated chapter! I hope everyone's ready for this. And we've reached over 50 reviews! You guys are just fucking fantastic. Really I don't have the words to tell you how much it means to me! Thank you so much! See You Monday! Enjoy! -JJ**

* * *

_**Crash My Party**_

Cody was hanging the last of the "Welcome Home" banners up just above the sliding glass door, singing away with the radio. He finished taping the sign up and smiled, looking down at Seth who gave him a thumbs up. He was beyond excited, finally letting it sink in that today was the day that Roman was coming home. He hadn't slept the night before, he didn't know if it was the excitement or the nerves that had kept him awake until the early morning hours but whatever it was he couldn't complain. He'd gotten up early, unable to eat and called Seth, both heading over to Paula's to set up.

He chuckled to himself, thinking that Seth had looked a little rough that morning with his extra fluffy hair sticking up wildly and the small circles under his eyes. It was probably from the excitement as well and still taking care of Dean, who was actually doing a lot better after his nasty bout with the flu. He stepped down from the ladder and clapped his hands together as he looked over his handy work.

Him and Seth had been working since about nine that morning on decorating with streamers and banners. They'd blown up some balloons and taped them up too, hoping that the weather stayed nice and it didn't get hot enough to pop them. Cody's heart was pounding, not that it had ever stopped pounding from the night before, as he moved to put the ladder away, him and Seth walking to the garage.

"You ready for this?" Seth asked, fiddling just in front of him. "I mean, you think you can handle all this when he gets here?" He was nervous, wondering how things would play out. He was sure that there would be tears, probably of happiness as they saw each other and the love that was there would grow even bigger. They would just see each other and Roman would run over and hold Cody as close to him as he could, kissing his face and apologizing for being gone for so long. And then Cody would tell Roman that he remembered, that he was normal, that they could be happy together again. He was sure of it.

Cody nodded, taking a deep breath. "I'm nervous, so nervous," he admitted, leading Seth out of the garage and back to the backyard. "What if he's still mad at me? What if he's not going to be happy seeing me? What if—"

"What if the sky turns to fire and your nose falls off?" Seth quoted, smiling when he heard Trinity's choked laughter as they rejoined the party goers. "What? It's Jey's fault, all those Disney movies playing at Cody's place when I'm off work, it really gets to me." He was attempting to defend himself barely able to hold back his own laughter.

Cody smiled softly, knowing exactly what Seth was trying to say. There was no letting the 'what if's' get to him now. He had to follow through with this, at least let Roman know and see where things went from there. He smiled, looking over the others that had already gathered.

Jay and Ariane were setting up the dessert table, peeking little shy glances at the other as they perfected the tablecloth. He loved that they were still together after a year. They were adorable. Then Josh was helping Brad set up the drink bin, the wide mouthed metal bucket filled to the brim with ice, both shoving various drinks: beer, soda, bottled tea and water, into its depths.

Trinity was dancing with a giggling baby Jey while Jon was working on getting the radio set up perfectly so they wouldn't have to hear any horrible radio ads while the music played.

Cody looked over everyone again, almost bursting with nostalgia. He really felt like he had before the accident, watching as everyone laughed and talked, the only difference being the added members of the group. He turned to Seth, bumping his shoulder against Seth's, causing the two toned man to sway a little. "It's now or never," he said, looking down at his watch, finding that it was already noon. "His plane should be landing about now."

Seth nodded, wrapping his arm around Cody's shoulder and pulling him in for a tight hug. "Remember, that I'm right here with you," he said, putting up a bright smile.

"Don't forget about us now!" Josh called, pointing at himself and Brad, the others turning and laughing.

"I'm just here for the food," Jon said, shrugging playfully before bursting out in laughter. "But seriously, we're here rooting for you and Rome. I mean, yeah, it'll be nice to see his ugly mug after six months too."

Cody smiled, really taking in the support that the others were giving him, even Brad with his carefree smile. In a way he almost felt bad for Brad being there to see all this with his own feelings still a little raw. He'd eventually make it up to him, somehow.

* * *

Paula was moving around the kitchen almost at the speed of light tasting and retasting the foods, making sure that they were completely ready. She was more than excited that Roman was coming home and she wanted everything to be absolutely perfect. She hurried around Dean, smiling at the pale face. "You feeling okay baby?" she asked, stopping enough to rest her hand against Dean's forehead. "You know if you're still feeling bad you don't have to be here. Roman'll understand."

Dean shook his head. He didn't feel the greatest but he felt a lot better than he had. He was enjoying the quiet of the kitchen compared to outside, his head throbbing from a monster headache. And while his stomach was still queasy he wasn't about to leave the wonderfully smelling kitchen. "I'm good. I wouldn't miss this if I was on my death bed," he laughed, his tired blue eyes looking up into Paula's grey orbs, their softness making him wish his mother would have been just as caring and loving as she had been to him.

Her soft features crinkled with her smile as she turned back to the simmering pots. "If you start to feel bad, don't stay okay? You health is more important than partying," she said, turning back to Dean's bright smile.

"Okay mom," Dean chuckled, feeling like a teenager all over again. She'd pretty much taken Dean in after him and Roman had become friends. He stayed most of the summer with them and at least once every weekend during the school year. This right here was his family, he wasn't going to miss out on it reuniting.

"That's right!" she huffed, puffing her large chest out as she picked up a spoon and began stirring. She smiled as she looked over her shoulder at Dean. She watched him as he began to sip at his glass of water again. "So you and Seth, it's serious right?"

Dean nodded, knowing that she could see him. He looked up, smiling into his water as he took another sip, hoping that it would ease his upset stomach at least a little.

"You're being safe right?"

Dean spit his water back into his glass, looking up with wide eyes. No matter how much this woman knew about him, he would never get over how easy it was for her to ask about his sex life. He nodded again, his face red with embarrassment.

"I'm just checking. I know your history with your _bed warmers. _I just don't want that to come back and bite you in the ass," she said, turning to face Dean completely. She could easily read that Dean was uncomfortable with the way his shoulders hunched forward a little and his head was tucked down. "So, how serious are you?"

Dean couldn't stop the smile on his lips at the question. "I want him to move in with me when his lease is up," he murmured, looking up almost meekly. "He's my world and Moxley loves him. She gets upset when he's not there with her at night. I think she likes him more than me."

Paula tried to hold back the growing chuckle. "I'm happy for you two. I really am," she said, turning back to her cooking meals. She walked around a little, thinking over her and Seth's previous talks about him and Dean and how he'd never been so happy before. She swayed a little to the faint sound of music from outside, smiling at the thought that things would be right once again.

"Oh, look at that sexy woman."

Paula turned, smiling as her husband moved up behind her, pressing a kiss to her cheek before he pulled back and sat at the table with Dean. "I have great news," he said, stroking his mustache lightly. "I just got off the phone, Roman's on his way. His flight was just fine and he's in a good mood."

"That's great!" Paula chirped, turning the fire off and setting the pot off to another burner to cool. "He say anything about how excited he is?"

Sika shook his head, smiling a little wider. "Nope, just said him and Max were on their way," he said, watching as the smile slowly slid from his wife's face before a confused look replaced it.

"Max?" she asked, looking from Sika to Dean, the other man's eyes just as wide and confused. "Who's Max?"

Sika only smiled wider. "His surprise," he announced, dropping his hands to his lap and rubbing his thighs with his palms quickly. "He told me on the phone there was someone he wanted us to meet and I figured that it should be a giant surprise."

Paula felt her heart start to pound, her eyes darting around the kitchen before they landed on Dean. "Why didn't you tell me Sika?" she asked, almost panicked. "If I would've known he was bringing someone back with him I wouldn't have set this up and I sure wouldn't have Cody here!" She sighed, starting to pace as she ran a hand over his face. "Jesus."

Dean sat there, his mouth going dry and stomach flipping over and over again, already adding to the queasiness. He was frozen to his spot, thinking that he had to warn Cody, that he had to at least warn everyone that there was an even bigger surprise for them than Roman finding out about Cody's returned memory. "Fuck," he snipped, feeling a wave of nausea hit him. He jumped out of his seat, tripping as he ran to the bathroom.

"For Christ's sake Sika, you know how much Cody cares about Roman!" Paula chastised, resting her hands on her hips. "This is going to destroy him not to mention what it's going to do to our son seeing Cody and having this 'Max' with him." She blew out a frustrated sigh, hearing the flushing of the toilet before Dean stumbled towards the backyard.

* * *

Cody stood there, bouncing Jey on his hip, smiling down into the little face. "Uncle Roman's going to be here anytime," he said excitedly, leaning in and rubbing his nose against Jey's. He heard the loud squeal of delight and chuckled, swaying just a little. He knew it wouldn't be long until Roman walked to the back.

Brad slid over next to Cody, taking a long drink from the bottled water he had. "You excited?" he asked, smiling down at Jey. "Hey there handsome." He looked up into Cody's almost apprehensive eyes. "Hey, be cool. It's gonna be fine. Promise."

There was the slam of a car door and everyone was quiet, the music already paused so that no one would know what was going on. Everyone stared at the corner they knew that Roman would walk around, all ready to yell surprise and attack with welcome homes and in the case of Seth, long full bodied hugs.

It felt like an eternity but as soon as the tall male turned the corner screams and yells started, everyone cheering as his face lit up in both happiness and confusion. He smiled, his eyes wandering over everyone in the party but once they landed on Cody he froze, his heart starting to pound uncontrollably in his chest, his throat going dry. There was the one person he hadn't expected to see, and certainly not holding a baby.

Cody's blue eyes met Roman's grey ones and he smiled softly, his gaze taking in the fuller beard, now covering his cheeks but still remaining perfectly neat and tidy. He shivered, thinking that Roman looked absolutely fantastic, the added facial hair just a bonus. His hands clasped tighter together under Jey, his ring digging into his other hand.

Roman swallowed hard, thinking that it shouldn't be so hard to speak with his eyes on the other man. His eyes shifted when he saw that Seth was running up to him. He held his hand up, forcing himself to smile. "Well, I didn't expect all this, but I'm glad you're all here. I want you to meet someone," he announced loudly, stepping to the side and leading the person that had been completely blocked behind him to stand next to him, their hands intertwined. "Guys, this is my girlfriend, Maxine."

The only thing that could be heard at that moment was the music playing on the radio. Brad's eyes were wide and much like the others they shifted from Cody back to Roman then to the beautiful young woman next to him before either lowering or returning to Cody.

Cody felt his heart stop, before cracking and shattering. He felt his smile fall before he forced it back into place, blinking back the sudden tears as he looked down at the concrete patio. He bit his lip, looking back up and bouncing a suddenly fussy baby on his hip a little.

"Guys! I have to tell you—" Dean called, slamming the door open. He could feel the tension slap right into him as he gasped for breath, telling his stomach to just relax for a little longer. He looked around the outside, his eyes landing on Roman and the dark headed woman next to him, their hands intertwined. "Oh… um… nevermind, he's already here." He felt a sudden wave of nausea and he turned, knowing that it wouldn't be long before he'd be doubled over.

Trinity was the one to move in and break the awkward silence, wrapping her arms around the young woman and greeting her cheerfully. "Welcome to Florida!" she said, pulling back and looking into the dark brown eyes. She smiled, thinking that the other woman was beautiful, with her heart shaped face and full pink lips. She was a bit shorter than her, but well built with a trim waist and a nice bust, which filled out her white and blue sundress well. "If we would've known you were coming we would've been a lot louder."

Roman closed his eyes, jaw tightening for a moment. He looked down at Maxine before he snuck a look up to where Cody was still standing, those blue eyes focused on something else.

Cody swallowed hard, his throat constricted around the pain in his throat. He barely noticed Jon as he walked up and rested a hand on his shoulder. He just shook his head, handing Jey over to his father and yanking his ring off of his finger to shove in his pocket. He turned, his eyes focusing on Trinity and Maxine as they talked and the woman was led over to the party. He didn't dare look at Roman, knowing that it would only hurt more and the tears he was holding back would flow. He turned away, thinking that it would be better if he left. He didn't even feel Seth's hand on his arm as he passed and went into the house.

Roman tried not to feel hurt, knowing that it was his fault that Cody was walking away. He'd been the one to bring his girlfriend home with him. He shook his head, Josh and Jon coming over and greeting him, Seth's less than cheerful face also there. He knew he'd get the third degree from Seth later.

* * *

Paula was walking around the party, smiling and laughing with the others. Her eyes constantly ran from Roman to Cody, finding that they were constantly on the opposite side of the yard. She hated seeing the pain, so well hidden, in their eyes.

"Mom, this is Maxine," Roman introduced a few minutes later, walking the woman up with him. He smiled, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his mother's cheek. "Dad was supposed to tell you that she was coming with me." He pulled back, his mother's grey eyes following him closely. He knew she was going to want to talk to him later, just by the way she carried herself.

Paula nodded to her, looking over the woman. "Nice to meet you, I'm Paula, Roman's mother," she introduced, extending her hand and taking the nicely tanned one of Maxine. "Welcome to my home and Florida."

"Thank you," Maxine answered a little meekly, feeling a little awkward there. She knew everyone hadn't expected her, but with Paula she felt a little more awkward, Roman always going on about how open and loving she was and here she was standing back like she was testing the waters. "It's great to finally meet you. Roman's talked about you so much up in Iowa."

"All good I hope," Paula said, looking up at her son, forcing a smile out. "Speaking of Iowa, how're your other friends? I was hoping you'd bring down that Irish fellow."

"Stephen?" Maxine asked, looking up at Roman curiously.

"I call him Shea but yeah," Roman answered, nodding. "Yeah, he's been over a couple times when she called and she thinks he's a riot. He went back to Ireland to see his family." He wrapped his arm around Maxine's shoulders with a smile, pulling her smaller body into him. "I like the dye job though Mom, you get tired of brown?"

Paula rested a hand on her hip, giving her son a playful look. "I'm still young and attractive. I needed a change," she laughed, smiling brightly. "But about that facial hair. What did you do? Is it that cold up there that you had to let the whole thing come in?"

Roman laughed out loud, nodding. "It's pretty cold up there!" he defended, rubbing his scruffy jaw. "But it was just a change I wanted to try, nothing serious." He felt Seth slip up next to him, an arm looping with his. "Well, Seth, I didn't think I'd see you again."

Seth forced out a smile. "You mind if we talk for a minute, just the two of us?" he asked politely, the irritation hidden under the sweet words. He smiled at Maxine, ignoring the almost hopeless look from Paula. He saw Roman's nod and tugged him away, his smile falling instantly.

"That a common occurrence with them?" Maxine asked, watching as Seth nearly drug Roman into the house and out of sight. She looked over into Paula's worried eyes noticing how they perked up once her attention was turned back to them.

"Seth and Roman have known each other since kindergarten. They've been as close as brothers since then," she explained, turning her attention from Maxine to the rest of the party. "C'mon I'll introduce you to some of the other members of the family."

* * *

Seth paced in front of Roman, his mouth tightened into a thin line as he looked from the floor to Roman's confused face. After a moment he stopped, dead in front of Roman, arms crossed over his chest, his eyes focused on grey ones. "What the fuck are you doing?" he asked, his voice cold and serious. "You haven't dated girls since high school. What the fuck did you think would happen when you brought her down here?"

Roman sighed, rolling his eyes as he covered his face with one hand. "Seth, don't start," he growled, dropping his hands to rest on his hips. "Don't even start with this."

"Why? You didn't tell anyone about her. You never mentioned you were even dating in any of your emails, which by the way were fucking bullshit. You just up and fucking leave and only give your number to your mom? What the fuck is up with that?"

Roman shook his head, his jaw tightening. "I knew if you had it you would give it to Cody and I didn't want him to have it," he simplified, eyes narrowing. "Brad and Jay had my number and so did Josh."

Seth took a step back, almost physically hurt that he wasn't trusted with his best friends phone number. "You're an asshole," he snapped, his eyes narrowing. "You don't know about a god damned thing that's gone on down here. Do you even fucking care?"

Roman sucked in a breath, shaking his head lightly. Truthfully, he really didn't. He'd moved on. He'd let things go and started over. That's what he kept telling himself. He saw the surprised look on Seth's face before the two toned male shook his head in disbelief and walked away. "Seth!"

"Fuck you, go back to fucking Iowa and stay away from me and everyone else here," Seth yelled back, never breaking stride as he walked back outside to the party.

Roman sighed, trying to hold back just how badly it hurt for Seth to walk away from him like he had. Never in their friendship had Seth stormed off like that before. He followed, swallowing hard when he saw Cody across the yard, both him and Brad talking, neither with smiles on their lips. He stepped down on to the patio, his eyes raking over Cody's thinner frame, his bare arms looking just a little more muscular. He turned his head, unable to keep his eyes away for more than a moment to see Cody walking away from Brad towards the gate. He wanted to chase after him, ask him to stay, at least ask how he was doing.

Dean watched from afar how Roman's eyes constantly wandered over to Cody, his own following to watch as Cody started towards the gate. He jumped up from his chair, hating the sudden movement as he chased after Cody, catching him right at the gate. "Hey," he started, holding back Cody from leaving completely. "Where are you going?"

Cody didn't look up from the grass. "Home," he answered simply, sighing lowly. "I don't want to be here anymore. I think it's pretty obvious that this doesn't matter anymore." His left hand moved up to rub his right forearm, his eyes rising just enough to meet Dean's saddened blue ones. "Tell Paula that I'll see her around, kay?"

Dean shook his head, looking back at the party, his eyes locking with Roman's for only a split second before Roman looked away. "Look, don't go. Stay here and at least let him know that you're yourself again. He deserves that much."

"Does he?" Cody questioned lowly, hatefully. "Does he deserve anything after everything he's done?"

Dean's eyes narrowed. "You're just as guilty in this as he is," he retorted, instantly regretting it when he saw the watery smile on Cody's lips. He mentally cursed his quick mouth.

"Yeah, you're right. It's my fault it even ended up like this. So I'm just going to leave before it gets any more awkward," Cody said, smiling as the first tear fell. He looked down at the grass before he turned, his hand coming up to wipe away the burning trails on his cheeks.

Dean stood there, watching as Cody walked around the house and out of sight. He turned, his eyes searching for his own lover. He found him and the dirty look that seemed to be permanently fixed on his handsome features. His legs didn't waste anytime as they numbly walked over to where Seth was standing with Brad, sipping at a can of soda.

Seth felt Dean's arm wrap around his shoulder, warm lips press against his ear. He sighed, listening as Dean told him that Cody had left. He shook his head, looking up to where Brad was still watching the corner of the house, hoping that Cody would come back.

Brad smiled suddenly, seeing Cody walk back past the house towards them, only let that smile fall when he realized that Cody wasn't back because he wanted to be. He started towards him, hoping to give some kind of comfort to the other man. He stopped when he saw that Roman and Maxine were walking over to Cody as well. He swallowed hard, reaching out and grabbing Seth's hand, unable to ask for his attention.

Seth looked over at Brad with confusion, the shaking hand trying to point to where Roman was only a few feet from Cody. His own eyes narrowed, Dean's gaze following him. "What the hell is he doing?" he questioned, crossing his arms over his chest, his face narrowed into a glare. "I swear if he rubs her in Cody's face he won't be going back to Iowa in one piece."

* * *

Cody turned, feeling a tap on his shoulder. His breathing stopped, his heart pounding when he realized that it was Roman that had come up to him. "Hey," he started, his voice a little higher than usual. He looked down at the patio, taking a breath.

Roman knew that pained look on Cody's face and instantly he wished that he hadn't come over. "I just wanted to see how you were doing," he said, looking down at Maxine before wrapping his arm closer around her. "Max this is Cody."

Maxine smiled, wrapping her arms around Cody for a hug. "It's good to meet you," she said, pulling back and looking into the uncomfortable blue eyes. She couldn't blame him, she was just as uncomfortable. She took a step back, releasing Cody.

Roman was almost at a loss for words when Maxine was pulled away by his mother, leaving him and Cody alone. He looked down into the almost terrified face, wishing that he could speak.

"I'm glad you're home safe," Cody started, heart pounding in his chest as he looked around, finding that everyone was sneaking glances at them. "How's Iowa?"

Roman nodded, reaching back and scratching the back of his neck nervously. "It's cold," he answered, trying to smile. "Winter really sucks. How's here?" He was trying to make smile talk, finding that it was harder than he ever thought it would be between him and Cody. "How's things with you? I didn't see Drew."

Cody winced at the Scot's name. "I'm good. Um, I haven't talked to Drew since May," he answered, looking up into the averted grey eyes. "She's nice. I'm glad you're happy." It was a lie, a bold faced lie and he knew it, but he didn't dare say what he wanted.

"Max is great," Roman said, smiling as he looked over to where she was standing with his mother and father. "She's really great." He felt a stab in his chest as he looked down into the pain that was hidden behind Cody's eyes. "So, you and Drew aren't together anymore?"

Cody shook his head. "No," he answered swiftly, taking a step back. "I've got to go. I'm sorry." With that he turned and headed into the house to grab his forgotten keys. He hurried to the kitchen table and grabbed them, making his way out the front door.

Brad shook his head, unable to watch as Cody left. He hurried after him, knocking shoulders with Roman. He only sent the Samoan a dark look as he went after Cody in the house. He couldn't deny that his own feelings were hurt, but seeing how badly this was affecting Cody put him on an entirely new level. No one deserved that kind of emotional pain.

* * *

(A/N): So, the chapter that everyone's been waiting for! So yes, messy messy messy! But what do you guys think? So far no one's really happy with Roman and him bringing Max home. (Speaking of I told you it was a wrestler! The only two Max's in wrestling I've ever known are Maxine and Max Buck of Generation Me on TNA). But thoughts are great loves! I really appreciate it! And just think, this is only the beginning of Roman's vacation home! Onwards and upwards love! Title is Crash My Party by Luke Bryan!

JacktheSinister_JaketheJust


	8. Pain Redefined

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 7.**

**Note: Sorry this is a bit late guys. I've just been having some motivation/inspiration issues lately. I hope it's up to par as I'm not a huge fan of it. I've also been dabbling with some other works that are going to get put up soonish. I give everyone more information the closer I get to actually finishing some of it up. Anyway, hope you guys like it! See you Monday! Enjoy! -JJ**

* * *

_**Pain Redefined**_

Roman sat at the edge of the queen sized bed at the hotel room, groaning softly as he felt arms wrap around his neck, soft lips on the back of his neck. "I'm sorry about the party," he murmured, smiling at the warmth of Maxine's body pressed against him. "I didn't expect all that."

Maxine smiled, pulling back at little to rest her chin on Roman's shoulder. "It's okay," she whispered, moving in and pressing a kiss to the scruffy cheek. "They were nice after the shock wore off. Your whole family's really nice, especially your dad."

Roman felt his heart twist painfully in his chest, the look on Cody's face still etched into his mind. "Yeah," he mumbled, leaning back into Maxine, closing his eyes. "I'm glad you like them. My mom's normally a lot more friendly though."

"I thought she was great Rome," she breathed, her lips moving down to the corner of Roman's mouth. "She was really sweet and all of her cooking was great. I don't know how you could move away from that." She moved away from Roman to lay on the bed. "C'mon, lay down with me. Talk to me a little bit." She knew there was a lot bothering Roman, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

Roman nodded, kicking his shoes off and moving to lay back on the pillows, his tattooed arm wrapped around Maxine's shoulders as she laid her head on his chest, his fingers running through her long silky hair. "I'm sorry if you felt awkward," he finally said, looking down at the relaxed face, a smile on the pink lips, the dark eyes closed.

"I think Cody felt more awkward that me," she said, feeling Roman's body tense under her. "You know, I'm not trying to be mean babe, but it might have been better if you told them that I was coming." She could feel the tightness in his chest grow at her soft words.

Roman groaned, closing his eyes and cradling his head with his other hand. "I told my dad. I figured he'd tell my mom. If I would've told Seth or Dean, they would have met us at the airport," he explained, feeling lips press against his chest. He smiled, the small kisses giving him a little bit of comfort. "You'll understand why I didn't tell them before we leave."

Maxine's eyes slowly opened, her lower lip slipping into her mouth for a moment before she spoke. "I meant maybe telling Cody," she said gently looking up into Roman's confused grey eyes. "I know you said you didn't want him to know so he didn't know you would be home, but he looked really hurt seeing us together."

Roman shrugged, feeling uncomfortable. He knew Cody was hurt, he saw that pained look in those blue eyes every time his own closed. "I don't want to talk about this right now," he finally grumbled, looking down into wide brown eyes.

Maxine's eyes narrowed as she crawled on top of Roman, crossing her arms on his chest and resting her chin on them. "You should talk to him babe. He's obviously not over you, and you did just leave him here. At least get some closure, or give him some. You'd want the same courtesy if it was you," she reasoned, smiling down at Roman. "C'mon, don't give me that face. I can think of at least six other things for those lips to be doing than pouting at me."

Roman smiled, wrapping his arms around Maxine as he leaned in and kissed her gently. "You're right, I'll talk to him tomorrow sometime. He'll probably be at the bookstore with Damien. He always goes there when he's got a lot on his mind," he said, flipping him and Maxine so her smaller body was under his. "But let's figure out a few of those things you were thinking I could be doing.

Maxine giggled, wrapping her arms around Roman's neck as their lips met, her body arching up into his. She felt a neediness in Roman's kiss as their lips parted and tongues met. She knew that there was more than Roman was going to say, that his emotions were just as turbulent as Cody's. Inwardly, she just wanted Roman to be able to settle things with Cody before they went home, for Roman's sake.

* * *

Brad sighed as he sat down at his desk. He was thinking over the party the day before and how heartbroken Cody had looked when he'd caught up to him at the front door. He'd tried to get Cody to stay, at least until he'd calmed down but he'd only been pushed aside. He hated how much Roman had affected Cody and he hated it even more that Roman had affected him.

He'd known that Roman would move on and find someone, but he'd still hoped that maybe Roman would let them try their luck at having a relationship. He shook his head, groaning at the thought. He'd been lying to himself, thinking that he'd ever have a chance.

Brad crossed his arms on his desk before he rested his forehead on his forearms, letting that realization sink in, the sting of emotional pain creeping in afterwards. He cursed that he'd let himself get so wrapped up in the thought that he had a chance. "Fucking idiot," he growled, sitting up just in time to watch as Wade walked into the office. His heart sunk, those icy blue eyes focused right on him. He just wanted a little time to himself, that's all he really wanted.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?"

Brad's brows furrowed, thinking that Wade didn't sound his normal self. That Wade's voice was softer, gentler. "I'm fine," he answered, turning back to his desk. "Thank you for the chocolate the other day." He listened as Wade walked in and sat down at his desk. "I still don't know how you knew my favorite chocolate bar though."

Wade hummed, looking over at Brad his brows knitted together as he thought. "So that's where I put that. I was wondering where I'd left it. I just left you a sticky note," he said, a smile breaking across his lips. "We must have the same taste in chocolate."

Brad smiled, shrugging as he looked over the other man. Finals were over, and they had to be in by the next day, but there was still a lot that had to be done office wise before the semester was over. His blue eyes lingered over Wade's slicked back hair, a short sleeved black shirt encasing his torso while there were a pair of dark blue jeans with white stitching on his legs. He had to admit that Wade didn't look bad, and he wasn't such a bad person, maybe they'd just started out on the wrong foot. "What is it that you teach?"

Wade looked over, a little confused at the question. "You don't know?" he asked back, one brow rising. He didn't understand how him and Brad could've shared an office for the entire semester and not know what the other taught. "I'm a biology professor."

Brad nodded, looking back down at his desk. "I never thought to ask before now. Not like we really had much time to really talk before," he went on, leaning back in his chair, thinking that Wade was a nice distraction from Roman.

Wade only nodded. "So, why are you here? Didn't you already finish your finals?" he asked, reaching into his briefcase and pulling out a stack of his own to finish grading. He'd been working on them, but over the last couple days he just couldn't focus.

Brad paused, reaching for a pencil to play with and roll between his fingers. "Just needed some space to think I guess," he answered softly, once again thinking about the dull ache in his heart. "I got stood up the other day you could say. Nothing major."

"Sounds a lot more major than you're letting on," Wade returned, turning his attention back to Brad, his finals half way forgotten. He was happier talking with Brad than grading anyway. "She must've been important to you."

Brad felt a stab at his heart. Yeah, Roman had been important. It wasn't just a personal romantic interest that he felt like he lost, but Roman's friendship. Sure, they'd kept in contact over the summer and fall semester but he really hadn't talked to Roman about anything but how Iowa was and simple, less than important things. "Yeah, something like that," he finally answered, swallowing hard.

Wade could see the confliction of pain in Brad's averted eyes. "Hey, how bout we turn up a pint, get your mind of things," he suggested, looking down at his watch. "Well, it's a little early for a drink but lunch isn't bad idea."

Brad looked up almost confused but smiled. "Sounds great, but you should probably finish up your finals. They'll jump your ass if you're late with those, believe me, I did it my first year here. Roman had to save my ass." He laughed, remember perfectly how he'd been disciplined for being late and how Roman had jumped in to help him.

"Your old office mate?" Wade questioned, turning back to his papers and grabbing for a pen. "Sounds like a nice fellow."

Brad felt his heart thump hard in his chest again, the mere mention of Roman making it hurt. "He was okay," he answered, the sudden anger of him showing up with Maxine taking over. He wasn't overly heartbroken at seeing them together, but the look on Cody's face the moment that Roman had introduced them would be burned in his mind for a long time. Just the pain of betrayal deeply etched into that handsome face.

Wade looked over his shoulder to where Brad as shuffling some papers before he stood. He saw the small slip of paper being handed to him and he reached out to grab it, a small smile on Brad's pink lips. "What's this?" he asked, looking down at the numbers.

"My cell number. If you give me yours we can get a drink sometime," Brad said, taking a step back and walking towards the door. "I'm gonna grab some Chinese, you want some?"

Wade couldn't help but smile and nod, watching as Brad turned and walked out of the office. His eyes followed behind Brad, a smile wide on his lips. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he liked that him and Brad were getting a long. He only hoped that it stayed that way and they weren't once again at each other's throats when the semester started again.

* * *

Cody stepped into the bookstore, his eyes red rimmed and tired looking. Dark circles were clinging under his eyes as he reached for his apron and clocked in. He didn't speak as he went into the supply closet and grabbed the glass cleaner and paper towels, just to drag the vacuum behind him.

He was early, beyond early but that didn't deter him from cleaning and tidying up the store. He hadn't slept the night before. Every time his eyes had closed all he'd seen was Roman and Maxine together, both smiling like they had at the party. He shook his head, pushing the memory away. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think about anything.

Bo was the one to walk in an hour later, whistling as he pulled on his own apron and clocked in. He heard the humming of the vacuum and couldn't help but laugh, thinking that it was odd that Bayley would be using the one thing she hated. He walked out from the back into the store, stopping when his eyes landed on Cody.

Cody felt the hand on his shoulder and he instantly killed the vacuum, turning to see who it was that had touched him. He forced a smile on his lips, looking over the concerned face. "Hey Bo," he murmured, his voice cracked and tired.

"Hey, why're you here? You have today off, don't you?" Bo asked, wiping his palms against the front of his apron, looking into the averted eyes. "Cody?" He ducked his head down, trying to catch Cody's gaze. "Hey, talk to me, what happened?"

Cody shook his head, looking into the dark eyes. He tried to smile, Bo's hair still loose, some spilling over his shoulder as he dipped to the side. "I'm okay. I called Bayley and told her I'd take her shift today. I didn't really want to be at home."

Bo's brow furrowed in confusion. "But you were so excited day before yesterday about Roman coming home. You don't want—" Instantly he stopped, seeing the pure, intense wave of pain as it crossed Cody's face. "Oh… oh shit, I'm sorry."

Cody shook his head, turning his back to Bo and walking to unplug the vacuum. "Don't worry about it," he said, waving his hand before he unplugged the cord and started raveling it back up. He hooked it back into the vacuum and began walking away.

Bo stopped Cody, reaching out and taking Cody's arm in his hand. "Hey, hey," he started, turning Cody so their eyes could meet. He smiled lightly, watching as tears starting to fill Cody's blue ones. His smile fell. "Hey, look, it's okay."

Cody nodded, turning fully towards Bo. He tried to smile, the first tear falling slowly down his cheek. "It's just not how it was supposed to be," he murmured, his hands coming up to wipe away the offending tears. He groaned, wishing that he could just stop feeling for a little while.

Bo hated seeing Cody in so much pain. He watched as Cody's hands fell to his sides, the band he normally wore gone. He knew things with Roman had gone downhill and he wished he knew what to say. Instead, he just wrapped his arms around Cody's shoulders, pulling him in for a hug.

Cody smile was watery as resting his face in Bo's shoulder, his arms wrapping loosely around Bo's waist. He stood there for a moment, breathing in Bo's woodsy scented cologne. He took comfort in the warm arms, allowing himself to lean forward. He just needed a little comfort, something to keep his mind off of Roman.

Bo pulled back a little, smiling as he wiped away the thick tear tracks. He didn't speak, still unsure of what he should say. He just stood there, looking down into Cody's sparkling blue eyes.

Cody wiped away the last few tears, smiling back up at Bo. He was thankful for Bo's gentleness, his kindness. "Thank you," he breathed, chuckling lightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cry like a bitch like that."

Bo shook his head, smiling a little wider. "I don't mind," he answered, his attention focusing on the sudden noise of a throat clearing. His eyes landed on Damien's less than enthused face before he felt his heart sink, his eyes closing as he sighed. He did not want to hear another lecture from Damien.

"Am I interrupting?" Damien asked, his voice gruff and irritated. He crossed his arms over his chest as he moved in closer, his narrowed eyes widening in shock when Cody turned to him. "Cody? What's going on?"

Cody shook his head, wiping the last few tears away. "Nothing, just the party yesterday," he answered, hearing the sudden change in Damien's voice. "Roman came home."

Damien nodded, heart starting to pound at Cody's rough voice.

"He brought his girlfriend with him."

"Girlfriend?" Bo and Damien asked in unison, both looking at Cody like he'd grown a second head.

"What do you mean girlfriend?" Damien asked, taking a step closer, his anger and frustration at Bo completely forgotten. "I thought Roman was… well, gay."

Cody chuckled, shaking his head. "No, Roman's bisexual," he explained, crossing his arms over his chest. He couldn't get the image of them together out of his head. "She's really pretty and they don't look bad together." He felt a lump settle in his throat, taking his breath and ability to speak. Tears choked him as he turned back to Bo. "He's really happy." A fresh set of tears started down his cheeks.

Bo instantly wrapped an arm around Cody's shoulders, leading him back towards the back. He threw a look at Damien over his shoulder, almost daring him to say something else while him and Cody walked away. He wasn't in the mood for Damien's condescending remarks today and he wasn't afraid to say something. It didn't matter if he needed this job or not.

Damien only narrowed his eyes, watching Bo as he led Cody away. He still didn't like Bo being around Cody. He had to stop from thinking about what Bayley had told him, her voice drifting into his mind with the soft words before slowly leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Cody took a breath after he'd stepped behind the door, pulling free from Bo's comforting arm. He shook his head as he walked over to the time clock and grabbed some tissues from the table next to it. "Fuck, I feel so stupid being like this," he growled, angrily wiping away his tears. "This is not how I wanted to be at work."

Bo nodded, giving a soft smile. He kept his distance, sure that Cody wouldn't appreciate too much handling. "You really love him, huh?" he asked, his heart starting to ache a little in his chest. He'd hoped that there would be a chance for him and Cody, but seeing just how distraught Cody was over Roman gave him the impression that it wasn't meant to be.

Cody paused, the tissue stilling on his cheek. He knew the question was rhetorical, one that was already answered with his actions. But that didn't make the answer any harder on him. He only nodded, swallowing around the thick lump in his throat.

"Did you at least get the chance to tell him about your memory?"

Cody felt his entire body shake, his head turning from side to side. "I couldn't tell him after that. He caught me before I left and I couldn't take it. I thought he'd at least tell me if he found someone else. I wouldn't have held on like this," he growled, growing frustrated with the tears that seemed to return. "And I wouldn't be like _this_!"

Bo swallowed hard, walking over and grabbing a couple more tissues for Cody. He handed them over, trying hard to smile, give Cody a little comfort. "Hey, things'll turn out okay," he started, the dark look in Cody's eyes visibly making him flinch. "You just gotta believe it will."

"I'm not really in the mood for an uplifting speech, Bo."

"I promise I'm not going into a monologue. I'm just saying that it's better to be positive about the situation. Get what you need out and then see where it goes. You'll regret it if you don't."

Cody thought about the words, thinking they were pretty deep for someone as silly as Bo. "It sounds like you've had experience with this," he chuckled, taking a breath and exhaling slowly, the tears finally gone and done with.

Bo felt a stab at his heart, his eyes lowering to the ground. "Something like that," he murmured, his smile renewed as he looked back up into Cody's curious blue eyes. "C'mon, the store's going to open here soon. We should finish getting ready."

* * *

The day went by slowly, most of the foot traffic walking past the store in search of other ideal Christmas gifts. Cody was quiet, listening to the Christmas music playing on the radio. His mind wasn't focused on work, it hadn't been since they opened but he'd made sure not to let that be completely known. He'd put on a smile and pushed Roman as far back in his mind as he could, finding that the other man seemed to only creep back up when he wasn't paying attention.

He sighed lightly, looking around the dead store, thinking that his and Roman's anniversary would've been coming up in the next few days. He swallowed hard, thinking of the previous year, how Roman had taken him out to the most posh restaurant in town before they'd decided on a burger and fries. "I like burgers," he muttered, chuckling to himself. Too bad he'd probably be eating noodles again.

The bell above the door rang, making Cody's eyes jump to the door, his heart leaping up into his chest. His heart pounded painfully there, his mouth going dry. He took in Roman's face, the beard still there. He hated how good it looked on him. He turned back to the self he was organizing and shook his head. He was sure Damien would help Roman.

Damien looked up from the front check out, smiling bright when he saw that it was Roman at the door. "Hey," he greeted, setting the magazine he was looking at off to the side before he walked over. "Welcome back to Florida."

Roman nodded, returning Damien's smile. He wouldn't admit that he was little confused at the sudden hospitality Damien was showing. While he and Damien didn't have an issues, they weren't ones to go out of their way to be so friendly. "Hey, thanks," he answered, looking around the store for the person he was looking for. "Cody here?"

Damien's eyes seemed to light up as he nodded. "Yeah, need me to get him for you?" he asked, hurrying to get from behind the counter. He saw the shake of Roman's head and for a moment he contemplated if he needed to pull Bo into the back. "Well, he's probably in the mystery section or the Middle English Literature again."

Roman nodded, walking away. He looked around the empty store, finding that it was like the first time he'd ever walked in. The memory was vivid as he walked through the isles, looking over the titles of the books as he passed. Some he recognized, others he didn't. He stopped when he saw Cody standing there fifteen feet away putting books on the shelf. He couldn't help but smile, Cody still as handsome as they day they met.

Cody could feel Roman's eyes on him. He tried to ignore the bigger male as he stood there watching him. He could feel his hands shake as he tried to put the last few books up on the shelf and turned his back to where Roman was. He took a breath as he walked away, his entire body starting to tremble.

Roman started to follow, stopping suddenly when another male walked up, showing a book to Cody with a smile. He watched as Cody's body relaxed, a smile touching those lips. He was close enough that he could see their lips move but not close enough to hear their conversation but he was sure he heard Cody's distinctive chuckle.

Bo opened the book and showed Cody one of the paragraphs half way down the page. "And you see that's when he takes her back to the cabin, isn't that the most horrible sex scene you've read?" he laughed, tucking a loose lock of hair behind his ear.

Cody read through it, his brows furrowing in confusion as he tilted his head to the side. He shook his head, unable to keep from laughing. He was thankful for Bo's distraction, even if he didn't know it. He looked up into the dark eyes that were focused on the page. Even though he was hurting, he had to admit that Bo was handsome and sweet for trying to make him smile a little bit.

Roman's eyes narrowed, heart pounding. He didn't like that man around Cody. He didn't like how easily he made Cody smile. And he certainly didn't like the way he stood so close to Cody, those eyes running over Cody's face with adoration. He walked over, his lips turning down into a frown, his focus suddenly on talking to Cody alone.

"Oh, I'm sorry, can we help you?" Bo suddenly asked, Roman's tall form walking up to them. He gently closed the book in Cody's hands and smiled. He took the book back into his own arms, sure that if Damien saw it there would be some sort of lecture about flirting again.

Cody turned, his heart pounding as his eyes met Roman's. "I'll help him, go ahead and finish up," he murmured, motioning for Bo to leave them. "Why are you here?"

Roman was a little taken a back by the question. He could see the hurt locked in those blue eyes. He took a step closer, his arms itching to wrap around Cody and tell him he was sorry for springing Maxine on him and the others. He started to speak, his voice pausing when he saw Cody look away from him. "When do you take lunch?" he asked gently, finding that he was nervous.

Cody closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Does it matter?" he asked back, his voice trembling as he opened his eyes. He winced at the coldness of his words, thinking that he almost sounded like he had before Roman had left, back before his memory came back. "You should really be with Maxine."

Roman felt his heart ache at those words, Cody turning his back to him. "Wait, Cody. I just want to talk to you," he said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "About yesterday, I didn't—"

"Don't worry about it," Cody answered, forcing himself to smile. "You're happy. That's what's important." He turned back to Roman, his hands fidgeting in front of him. "I'm happy for you." He knew it was a lie, but at that moment he'd say anything to get away from Roman. "How long are you here? I know Dean and Seth are happy you're home." Everything was still so fresh in his mind, he wasn't prepared to see Roman on his own yet.

Roman could tell that Cody was uncomfortable. "Are you?" he asked, rubbing his tattooed forearm with his other hand. "Are you happy?" He knew it was horrible question but he couldn't stop from asking it. He saw the confliction on Cody's face.

"Yeah, I'm great," he lied, turning to walk away. "But I am at work and I do have to help Bo." He started to walk away, his heart pounding. He wanted to tell Roman that he wasn't fine, that things weren't great but he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.

"Bo?" Roman questioned, following Cody as he walked away. His gaze fixated on the same male as before, this time looking down at the books he'd just set on the cart. His eyes brow rose as Cody walked over so casually, smiling when Bo's eyes met him. He didn't like Bo. His eyes narrowed as he stood a little taller, walking right up behind Cody.

"Something else you needed?" Bo asked, feeling a little intimidated at the tall stance of the other man. He felt a little nervous, the darkened face focused right on him. He wondered what it was that he'd done to make this man so unfriendly.

"No, he's about to leave," Cody interrupted, looking up at Roman. "I can't talk here Roman."

Bo's eyes widened as he looked from Roman to Cody and back again. So this was Roman, the man that held Cody's heart, the same man that had ripped it out and stomped all over it. He felt the tension rise between the two. He reached out, touching Cody's arm gently, grabbing his attention.

Roman's eyes met Bo's. He could see the flicker of surprise there mixing with a dark, almost challenging look. He stood just a little taller, refusing to let that little shit try and act intimidating. He went to open his mouth, unsure of exactly what he was going to say but was interrupted by the bell above the door. His eyes looked over, his heart pounding when he saw that it was Maxine walking in, her dark eyes looking over the bookstore happily. His jaw tightened as he looked to Cody, the other man's eyes also focused on Maxine.

Bo watched as Damien greeted the woman, his face going blank with shock. He looked from Roman to Cody, slipping his hand around Cody's silently, giving it a gentle, comforting squeeze. He felt Cody return it. "Let's get some lunch," he whispered, loud enough to Roman to hear.

Roman's entire body tensed up as he looked back to Bo, those dark eyes almost begging for him to say something. He bit his tongue, knowing he had to choose his battles and not make a scene in the shop. "I'll call you," he said, looking down into Cody's blue eyes, his features softening. "I promise."

Cody felt his heart pound as Roman walked away, greeting the beautiful woman at the front of the store. He bit the inside of his cheek when he saw them share a quick peck. "Don't bother," he murmured, turning and walking away, leaving Bo to stand there alone.

* * *

(A/N): So, I'm not thrilled with this chapter. I just couldn't get into it honestly and I've been feeling like crap for the last couple days. So I hope it's not too terrible and I hope you like it. Thoughts are lovely guys, even though I'm sure a lot of you aren't going to like Bo still trying to put the moves on Cody. Haha. I'd still love to hear them. As always, onwards and upwards. Title is Pain Redefined by Disturbed.

JacktheSinister_JaketheJust


	9. It's Not Over

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 8. **

**Note: This chapter is a treat to everyone to celebrate 50 reviews (I know it's terribly late. I've just been super busy. I'm sorry!) and because I got the most exciting news! If you follow me on tumblr, everyone knows that I took a motorcycle course a couple weeks ago so I could get my M on my liscense. Well, I got conformation today that my card is on its way in the mail! As soon as I get it, I just have to go up to the DMV and they'll put it right on there! So, now I'll be a bad ass biker chick! No, not really, but I will be riding a motor cycle! Hooray! Haha. Anyway, hope you're ready for this chapter! See you Monday! Enjoy! -JJ**

* * *

_**It's Not Over**_

Seth paced across the floor in Dean's bedroom, his eyes focused on the floor as he fumed. "Can you believe him?" he asked, throwing his hands up in the air as he looked over at Dean, whom at that moment was laying back on the bed shirtless with his hands folded behind his head as a pillow. "He just shows up with her and then expects us not to freak out!"

"Seth," Dean started, listening as Seth went on mumbling under his breath. He sighed, catching Moxley in the corner of his eye as she stepped into the room with her catnip toy in her mouth. He reached down for her, lifting her up onto the bed with him, his fingers sliding through her silky white fur. "Seth, this is the same Roman, he's just got a girlfriend."

"No the fuck it's not Dean!" Seth snapped, stopping and turning to look at his boyfriend. "I don't know who he is right now, but he's not the Roman we grew up with. How can he just show up and act like everything's okay? Cody didn't even get the chance to tell him that he remembered."

"That's something between them," Dean retorted, dangling the toy mouse above Moxley, watching as she playfully batted at it, seeming somewhat less than enthused about her favorite toy being dangled in front of her. "And we need to stay out of that."

Seth huffed, starting his pacing again. "You know he had the nerve to show up at the bookstore today? Not even twenty-four hours after ripping Cody's heart out and tearing it to shreds he's already shoving that little bitch in his face all over again."

"Wait, what?" Dean asked, sitting up fully and shaking his head. "And stop pacing, you're gonna put a hole in my floor." He chuckled at his own joke, finding that it did nothing to lighten Seth's mood. "Baby, sit down and talk to me."

Seth flopped down on the bed, upsetting Moxley and making her jump. She shot him a dark look, her blind eye glinting in the sunlight that was streaming in through the window. "Yeah, he just shows up at the store wanting to talk, knowing that Cody's fucking devastated. How callous could he be?"

"How do you know all this?"

"Cody text me earlier, said that Roman was going to call him. It only took coming home to finally call," he muttered, shaking his head. "He walked away from here like it was the easiest thing in the world…."

"That's not true," Dean interrupted, tossing the cat toy off the bed so that he could focus solely on Seth. "He hated leaving so don't act like it was easy on him. He did exactly like he said he was. Roman went to Iowa and he started over. He met someone, that's not his fault. You can't expect him to hold on forever." He growled, his narrowing eyes meeting Seth's darkened brown ones.

"Cody held on," Seth snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. "He could've at least called. Or told us that he was bringing someone home. We wouldn't be in this deep if he would've at least thought for a second."

"Seth!" Dean growled, reaching over and taking Seth's hand in his. "This isn't any of our business. What Roman does is between him and whoever is involved. Not us." He saw the dark look in Seth's eyes but refused to back down. "It's his relationship."

"But he just threw her in Cody's face!" Seth whined, growing exasperated with Dean. "Like he acted like he wanted to talk to Cody and then she's right there!"

Dean groaned, rolling his eyes as he laid back on the pillows, Moxley batting at his arm angrily. "I threw it, go fucking find it," he mumbled to her. His focus turned back to Seth. "Have you even stopped to think about how she might be feeling in all this shit? No one knew she was coming, she's completely away from her own fucking family, and you're already up in arms ready to fucking shoot her the first chance you get. Fuck, I'd be running scared by now." He closed his eyes, refusing to look at Seth.

Seth just scowled, sighing after a moment of silence between them. He didn't care about Maxine, she was just a casualty of war in his mind, expendable even. "You know this is still fucked up. You know he still cares about Cody and you know Cody still loves Rome."

"I'm not denying those facts Seth," Dean murmured, cracking one eye open to see that Seth's initial frustration had blown over and he was calming down. "But this doesn't have anything to do with us. Let them figure it out. Cody has to tell Roman sometime about his memory and then it's up to Roman what he wants to do." He opened his arms for Seth to lay with him.

Seth moved in, nuzzling into Dean's right side, resting his head on the strong chest. "I just hate seeing them like this," he whispered, closing his eyes as he listened to the steady beat of Dean's heat in his ear. "They belong together."

Dean only hummed his agreement, closing his eyes and letting his mind clear. He was actually feeling a lot better than the day before but he was still really tired. "I'm gonna get a nap," he murmured, pressing a kiss to Seth's forehead.

Seth nodded, snuggling a little closer. "Sleep baby." He moved away from Dean a few moments later, groaning as he heard his phone start to ring. While he'd love to have ignored it, he couldn't, knowing that it could be Cody or his job. He got up, looking over to where Moxley was still laying on Dean's other side, pissy that her toy had been thrown. "C'mon Mox." He motioned for her to follow, tossing his head towards the kitchen. "I'll get you some tuna."

Moxley perked up at that and jumped down to follow.

Seth rummaged around the cabinet for a can of the special tuna Dean always kept on hand for Moxley, his phone vibrating with a message. He grabbed a can before he picked his phone up and looked at it curiously, his brows furrowing at the number. His heart started to pound, his throat going dry when he recognized who it belonged to. He set his phone to the side, thinking that he'd read the message after he gave Moxley her treat.

After he'd poured the tuna into her dish and set it out as he tossed the can out and grabbed his phone to read the text he'd been sent. He leaned heavily against the counter, his hand reaching out to brush through Moxley's fur.

_Please come down to the shop. I really need someone to talk to._

Seth took a breath, looking down at Moxley who was looking at him instead of her fish. "It's Phil," he murmured, heart pounding. "He wants to see me." His hands shook as he held his phone, his chocolate eyes shifting from Moxley back to his phone. He bit his lower lip, shaking his head as he walked away from Moxley. "I'll be back." He looked in on Dean, smiling softly when he saw that Dean was curled up on his side fast asleep. He walked in and pressed a kiss to Dean's forehead. "I'll be back soon."

* * *

Roman pretended to listen while his father talked. His mind was more focused on Cody and the way that he'd been more or less pushed off when he'd gone to talk to him. He hadn't expected things to go like they had, and he certainly hadn't expected Maxine to show up. He knew she'd only been trying to be helpful in telling him that his father had called, wanting to take them out to lunch, but it only seemed to sour Cody's already bad mood, and give that Bo guy a chance to move in.

He shook his head, telling himself to stop thinking like that. He wasn't jealous that someone was showing interest in Cody. He wasn't jealous that that little twerp could make Cody smile like that. He wasn't. Not a bit. Not one fucking bit.

"Roman?" Paula asked, looking her son's gloomy face over. "You okay?" She saw Roman's grey eyes meet hers before they looked down at his half eaten lunch. "Say, how about you and me take a quick walk?"

Roman knew that it wasn't a mere suggestion. He nodded, sliding over and pecking Maxine's cheek. "I'll be right back," he whispered, smiling at her, refusing to admit to seeing the pride beaming in his father's face. While he was happy that he liked Maxine, it only left a bitter taste in his mouth that he'd never been so open and excepting of Cody. He stood from the table and followed his mother outside of the restaurant. "Yeah?"

Paula smiled, wrapping her arm around Roman's, letting her youngest son lead as they walked. "How'd things go with Cody?" she asked, skipping all formalities. "Your father suggested lunch after Maxine told him that you were going to speak with him."

Roman groaned, he should've known that it was his father that had sent Maxine in after him. It really frustrated him that he was getting involved. "It didn't," he answered, sighing as his mother stopped and looked up at him, her own grey eyes dark, almost stormy looking. "He didn't want to talk to me, at least not at the shop."

Paula's eyebrow rose, completely unsurprised. "I wonder why," she said, her voice giving it away that she was on Cody's side in all this. "I'm not saying that Maxine's not a nice girl. And I'm not saying that you two don't look good together, but bringing her down here with all this mess you left. How'd you expect him to react to all of it? He was so happy to see you Roman. I don't think I've ever seen someone so excited in my life. And because your father decided not to tell anyone about you bringing her and you neglecting to tell anyone else, it pretty much ripped his heart out."

"Mom," Roman started roughly, stopping when she held a hand up for him to stay quiet. He blew out a breath, looking down at her almost exasperated.

"That boy loves you more than the stars love the moon. And right now he's hurting. Take a step back and let him actually take in the shock. I'm not saying that you and him don't need to talk, because the Lord knows you do, but trying to do that all at once is only going to hurt both of you," she went on, patting Roman's tattooed forearm.

"I never meant for it to be like this," Roman started, looking down at the concrete. "I just wanted to apologize for springing all this on him, for springing Max on him. Everyone's pissed off at me."

"Hmm, I wonder why," Paula breathed, looking up at Roman, her face soft, her voice softer. "They're all in shock right now. You're going to be here until after New Years, they'll adjust. But you really need to clear things up before you and her get serious. You don't want the past following you."

Roman nodded, smiling down at his mother. "I know," he answered, looking back towards the front entrance of the restaurant. "I will. I promise. So, do you like her?"

Paula kept smiling. "She's nice," she said simply, starting back inside. "C'mon Roman, we can't keep them waiting."

Roman nodded, a sinking feeling settling in the bottom of his stomach. "You go ahead, I'm gonna call Seth really quick, see if I can figure things out with him first," he said, waving for her to go on without him. Once she was inside he sighed, shaking his head.

He knew that his mother was being reserved, refusing to fall in love with Maxine like his father already had without him first clearing his own past up. It didn't seem to ease the pain any. He reached into his pocket for his phone, grabbing it and looking over the screen, a photo of him and Maxine and Shea all out at a local bar. He tried to smile as he ran through his contacts and pulled up a familiar number. He pressed call and listened, waited.

Roman's eyes closed for a moment when he only reached the voicemail, the voice light, happy sounding. It was the first time he'd heard that voice like that in over 6 months and he missed it. "Cody, It's me… I… um… I just wanted to… to talk to you. This is my number so… when you get time… you can call me. I'll talk to you later then. I…" he paused, the loving words right on the tip of his tongue. He'd always told Cody he loved him before he hung up, even on his voicemail, now it felt awkward not to say it. "I… I really missed you…." He hung up, mentally cursing himself for even letting that little bit of information slip. "Dammit!" He shoved his phone back into his pocket and walked back inside, trying not to hope that Cody would call him back sooner than later.

* * *

Seth wrapped his jacket a little tighter around his frame as he walked down the street, his heart pounding even harder than it had been when he'd read the message. He hadn't talked to or even seen Phil since they'd run into each other that boardwalk and Phil had apologized. He hadn't even really spared a thought to him. He shook his head, wondering what it was that Phil wanted, knowing it had to be something serious if Phil was calling him.

He rounded the corner, his eyes landing right on the man he was supposed to meeting with, his entire body freezing. He looked over the grown out hair, the beard that had been trimmed up so that he just had a goatee and mustache. He took a tentative step closer, breathing harder as he began to tremble. While he held no feelings towards Phil anymore, he could feel his heart almost breaking at the way he stood there, hood up, back pressed against the brick wall of the parlor, his green eyes looking up towards the sky.

Seth took a step closer, his hands being shoved into the pockets of his jacket. He could feel the cool wind of the evening swirl around him as he stopped, leaving plenty of space between them. "Phil?" he asked softly, those green eyes widening before they slowly turned to him. He forced himself to smile, the look of shock tangible on Phil's face. "You called?"

Phil stood up straight, turning towards Seth, nodding. "I didn't think you'd come by," he said gently, his voice a mere whisper. He was really surprised that Seth had answered his call and text. He smiled slightly, looking down at the ground. "Shit, I really didn't expect you to be the one to show."

Seth stood there, looking down at the concrete for a moment before he looked back up. "So, you needed someone to talk to?" he said louder, showing that this was just a courtesy and that he didn't have a problem with walking back to his car and driving back to his boyfriend's house.

Phil nodded, walking closer. "Walk with me? I can't talk about it here," he said, tossing his head towards the other end of the block. "C'mon, we'll get coffee, my treat since I asked you to come down here." He turned, leading Seth past the tattoo parlor and across the street to a small diner. He led them to a window seat, taking his place across the table from Seth. He pulled his hood down and smiled, really looking over Seth's face. "You look good."

Seth smiled slightly, looking down at the table. "Not that I don't like the compliment, but I'm not sure why I'm even here," he said, looking up. "And I'm not exactly comfortable sitting here with you."

Phil knew that those words shouldn't still wound him but they did. They stung like hell, enough that he physically winced. "I'm actually surprised that Ambrose isn't here with you. How'd you get out without him?" he asked, pushing his sleeves up in the warm diner. He saw the confliction on Seth's face. "He doesn't know you're here?"

Seth shook his head. "He's been sick and he finally got a chance to take a nap. I didn't want to wake him up," he admitted, biting his lower lip gently. He saw the shock on Phil's face. "I don't plan on this being a secret meeting. I'll tell him as soon as he's awake, so don't think this is something—"

Phil laughed out loud, shaking his head. "Don't worry, I'm not thinking that at all," he said, motioning for the waitress to come over. "But I do need your help. That's why I asked you to come down here."

Seth nodded, looking over the little menu quickly. He was silent as the waitress walked over and took Phil's order. He spoke his own small order lowly, his heart pounding. What kind of trouble could Phil be in if he was calling on him and not one of his other friends. "What's going on? You're not in trouble are you?" he asked, fear settling in.

Phil smiled lightly, looking down at the table, his mouth opening but nothing coming forward. "Well, don't flip shit on me here, but… I'm gonna be a father," he said, his voice going low at the end. He looked up, Seth's eyes wide with confusion and shock. "Yeah, that's how I was too." He sucked his lip ring into his mouth, twisting the silver metal from side to side as they sat in silence.

Seth blinked a couple times, thinking that he should've ordered something stronger than a glass of water and a coffee. He looked outside for a moment, his mind frazzled at the mere thought, his eyes still wide at the information. "Well… um… what… what does that… uh… have to do with me?" he asked, unable to keep from pausing as his thoughts faded in and out. "I mean, why do you need me?"

Phil's smile faded. "Maybe I should start from the beginning with everything."

Seth nodded, completely dumb founded. He wanted to ask so many questions, who was the mother? When was she due? How did it happen? Where they dating? So many more questions raced around in his mind as he sat there, listening to Phil as he cleared his throat.

Phil paused excepting his and Seth's drinks before a slice of apple pie was placed in front of Seth. "Still a sweet junkie," he mused, smiling lightly. He looked up, his face dropping. "Well, when everything went down with us I was a wreck, a stupid wreck. I couldn't focus on my work, I stopped going for a week. I was sure Shan was going to fucking fire me or beat the shit out of me. He did do that after Ambrose came in after you. Hit me real good."

Seth nodded, taking a sip of his coffee after pouring a little sugar in it. He wasn't too interested in hearing about Phil's half of their break up. He was still suffering the after affects at times, only to be grounded by Dean's lovingness.

"I started going to counseling, I got some help and when I ran into you at the boardwalk I was fucked up. I know that I apologized but inside I was still a mess and I wasn't myself. Angelina took me out a couple months after that after I calmed down, took my first drink with her," Phil explained, nodding at Seth's shocked look. "Yeah, I know, stupid. Some straight edge I am. I got so drunk, so fucked up that I don't even remember most of the night. She took me home and it just happened. She kissed me, told me that things would be better, that I needed to move on like you had."

Seth's eyes were still wide, refusing to think of Angelina and Phil in bed together, knowing that it would only make his stomach ill. While Angelina was a beautiful woman, she was terribly thin, stick thin almost and imagining that with his ex was just too much.

"Well, we started seeing each other pretty regularly after that. And we really liked spending time together. Nothing else like that happened and I haven't drank since but she came by one day after work and told me she was pregnant and that I was the only one she'd been with," Phil finally came to, pausing as he looked down at the table once again. "She's due January fourth."

Seth nodded, still unable to really speak. He just looked at Phil's uncomfortable stance. He still had no idea what that had to do with him. "So, not trying to be an ass here, but what does that have to do with me?" he asked, setting his mug down on the saucer.

Phil smiled, actually smiled. "I moved out of my apartment and got this little house for us to move into. She doesn't know about it, she thinks there's renovation at my apartment. We want to move in together for the baby but I want the nursery to be a surprise, show her that I can do this right this time around. I won't fuck up like I did with you."

Seth squirmed a little in his spot, still feeling a little uncomfortable. "So, what is it that you want me to do?" he asked, feeling more than a little excited for Phil and Angie. He was happy that Phil had found someone, and he was happy that he could have that kind of life.

"Well, do you think you could take some pregnancy photos? I want to put some up around the house and I'll need some help painting and setting things up. You're better at those kinds of things than I am."

Seth smiled, reaching across the table and resting his hand on Phil's for a second. "You're scared shitless," he said gently, watching as Phil nodded. "It's okay, it's just a little you, that's all. You'll be a great dad Phil. And Angie'll be a great mom. Chill a little."

Phil nodded again, smiling softly. "So, is that a yes?" he asked, once again playing with his lip ring, tugging at it with his teeth. "Because I don't have anyone else that won't tell Angie. Ashley can't keep a secret to save her life and Shannon's not exactly happy that she's quitting for a while to be home with the baby."

Seth chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, I'll help you out. So, are you having a girl or a boy? Because you don't want a pink nursery if you're gonna have a little boy running around," he teased, finding Phil's growing smile contagious until they both had goofy grins on their faces.

"It's a girl. We still don't have a name though. We can't agree on anything," Phil explained, watching as Seth took a bite of the pie. "Is Ambrose going to be okay with you being at my place? I know it's been over a year, but he doesn't let anything go."

Seth stopped chewing, his chocolate eyes resting on his apple pie. He swallowed, setting his fork down. "He'll understand if I explain it to him. I know he won't be happy but he'll be okay," he answered, smiling lightly. He hoped Dean would understand anyway. "He's working so much right now we barely see each other anyway. It'll give me something to do besides thinking of ways to kill Roman."

Phil sat up straight at that comment. "Roman do something to piss you off?" he asked, thinking that Roman and Seth had been thicker than thieves the entire time he'd know Seth. They were truly brothers, the kind of brothers that no one could ever separate.

Seth nodded, thinking that there was no way that Phil would know about what had happened after they'd split. "It's a long story," he murmured, shaking his head at the thought of the other man, his blood boiling just at the thought.

"I have time. I'm off for the rest of the day actually. If you want to talk about it, that is. I know we aren't close friends, but we can still talk. If you want that is, no ulterior motives or anything. I swear," Phil went on, feeling like he was trying to back peddle and assure Seth that he was just trying to be friendly. He smiled slightly, feeling a little flustered, a power Seth would always have over him.

Seth nodded, shrugging. "Just stupid shit, that's all," he went on, thinking that maybe it would be nice to have a fresh set of ears on the subject. He took another bite of pie, savoring the taste as he pondered letting Phil in his mind or not. It would be nice to have something to talk about while they were working. "You remember when Cody and Roman were in that accident the year before last?"

Phil nodded, remember well how upset Seth had been over it. He listened as Seth spoke, his eyes widening just at how much had gone on and what had happened. He was speechless. Even though him and Roman hadn't gotten along, he was surprised at how callous it all seemed. "Well shit," he muttered, shaking his head. "I'm sorry."

Seth shrugged, looking outside at the passing people. "Me too…."

* * *

(A/N): Well, that chapter was a lot nicer, well sorta. Haha. Punk makes his return to the story! And I promise, there's a lot more twists and turns coming up for you! Hope you like it! Thoughts are great loves! Onwards and upwards! Title is It's Not Over by Daughtery.

JacktheSinister_JaketheJust


	10. So Close, So Far

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 9.**

**Note: Sorry I'm posting during MITB, it's really hard to focus on both at the same time but it's finally up! Hope you like it! I'll be cheering on Roman now, and I hope Dean's shoulder is alright! See everyone Monday! Enjoy! -JJ**

* * *

_**So Close, So Far**_

Seth pushed open Dean's door, smiling when he heard Dean's soft snoring as he pulled his jacket off and hung it up in the coat closet. He paused, Moxley sitting in the doorway to the kitchen, her green eye narrowed on Seth. "Moxley?" he questioned, looking down at her. He walked over and reached to scratch her head, a sudden pain in his fingers as she bit him. "Ow, fuck!" he growled, yanking his hand back. "What the fuck was that for?" He watched as she turned and sauntered into the kitchen. "Last time I give your ass tuna."

He shook his head, turning back towards the bedroom, letting his meeting with Phil sink in. He still couldn't believe that Phil was going to be a father. It was sweet, and he was happy for him. He crawled into bed with Dean, kicking his shoes off before he curled into his lover.

He laid there, just looking over Dean's handsome face, the dark blond lashes resting lightly on his slightly stubbly cheeks, his blond hair disheveled and laying across his forehead haphazardly. His lips were slightly parted, a soft snore passing through them. Seth could spend hours just looking at Dean, wanting nothing more than to kiss those lips over and over again.

He smiled, lifting Dean's arm and moving in so he was in the strong arms. "I love you," he whispered, closing his eyes and breathing in the other man's scent. He was silent as he thought, his mind mulling over everything that Phil had said again, the thought of them being alone a little nerve rattling. He suddenly thought maybe he'd jumped the gun in telling Phil he'd help him. He bit his lower lip, his entire body shivering. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think about what could happen. He just hoped that things would be like they had agreed on. It was strictly friendly, nothing else.

He tried to relax, knowing that once he told Dean, there was a chance that he'd only end up calling Phil to tell him that he couldn't do it. It wouldn't be surprising, it was either that or Dean would want to be right there every single moment and he would end up breaking up more fights between the two than actually getting work done. It was that thought that he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

When he woke it was dark outside. He sat up with a start, looking at the bedside table, groaning at the time. "Fuck," he mumbled, struggling to get up from the bed, finding that Dean's arms were wrapped fully around his waist, Dean's bare chest pressing against his back. "I gotta get up and go babe."

Dean groaned, refusing to let go. "No you don't," he murmured, holding just a little tighter. "I'll wake you up in the morning. Go back to sleep."

"Dean, I have to go home. I have to get a bunch of stuff together for my shoots tomorrow," he tried to reason, ignoring Dean's unhappy curses. "I'll come by and bring you lunch on my break and when you get off you can come over to my place." He smiled, turning to kiss Dean fully on the mouth.

"Why don't you just move in with me?" Dean asked, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand as he sat up, yawning wide. "You spend most of your time here anyway and it would be nice to wake up to you every morning."

Seth sat there frozen, looking back at Dean. "You want me to?" he asked, his voice a little shaky. He swallowed hard, watching as Dean smiled and shrugged playfully.

"Why not, we've been together over a year and I think you sleep here more than at your place. Yeah, I want you to move in with me. Your lease is up in April right? It'll give you plenty of time to pack and get everything over here," Dean explained, reaching out and pulling Seth to him. "I love you, I want you with me all the time."

Seth bit his lower lip, swallowing hard. As much as he loved the idea of him and Dean moving in together, he wasn't completely sure about it. Things were wonderful the way they were. If him and Dean argued, he could go home and cool off before he came back and they worked things out. He forced himself to smile as he turned to Dean and pecked him on the lips. "I'll think about it. Promise," he said gently, working his way out of Dean's arms.

He stood, pulling on his shoes and walking towards the door. "Love you," he said, hearing the same thing mirrored back to him in Dean's sleepy voice. He smiled as he grabbed his few things and headed out to his car. He pulled open the door and got in, his hands shaking as they wrapped around the steering wheel.

He closed his eyes for a moment as he took a deep breath, telling himself to calm down. He did want to move in with Dean, but the nagging feeling that something bad would happen just loomed in his mind. Things had been like this with Phil. They'd been perfect and when they first moved in, things were even better. Waking up to each other was perfect, cooking together, curling up on the couch at 3AM for no real reason. He'd loved every minute of it, that was until they'd suddenly started going down hill and with them living together, there was no escape to cool off.

He didn't want that with Dean. He didn't want them to start to hate the other. He didn't want them to argue, to fight. He didn't want to end up going through the same things that he had with Phil. He knew Dean loved him and he knew that Dean would never put his hands on him, but there was always that deep seeded worry that one day Dean would be just like Phil, that anyone he loved would be like that, that he was always going to be the problem that needed dealt with. And he hated it.

* * *

Cody sighed, looking down at his phone, watching as Roman's number flashed across it. His hands were shaking, unable to actually get the courage to answer it. He'd heard Roman's voicemails, all of them over the last couple days but still, he hadn't found the nerve to actually call him back.

He did want to speak to him. He wanted to tell Roman everything he'd wanted to before, but he found that to be harder now that Maxine was there. He didn't want her to overhear him and he didn't want her to barge in on their conversation. He was sure if he asked, him and Roman could meet and discuss everything just the two of them, but at the same time, he wasn't sure if he could hold back from wanting to jump in those arms and kiss those lips.

That was one of the hardest battles he was having. Roman had moved on. He was happy while Cody hadn't moved on. He'd hung on tightly, hoping, praying for a chance to tell Roman everything. He sighed, shaking his head as he felt two hands tug at the hem of his jeans. "Hey little man, what are you doing?" he asked, reaching down and picking the infant up. "You trying to make me feel better?" He earned a pat on the nose, a toothless smile flashing at him.

"He said he missed me," he said softly, standing and resting Jey on his hip. "You think he meant it? After all this time he didn't even email me, sounds like he didn't miss me at all huh?"

Jey only cooed at him, his arms flapping as he mouthed Cody's shoulder. His big grey eyes never left Cody's face as he pulled back and rubbed his face into the damp material of Cody's shirt.

Cody smiled, shaking his head as he walked into the kitchen and made a bottle. "You know, you're gonna be a looker like your Mama. She's a pretty one, I just hope you get your father's laid back attitude," he laughed, bouncing Jey as he screwed on the nipple and shook the bottle, mixing the water and formula powder.

Cody walked back into the living room and laid Jey back on a couch pillow along with the bottle, the little man grabbing and chugging. He shook his head again, turning towards the door when he heard the bell. "Must be Seth. Because Mommy and Daddy are working until tonight so we've got a date with some mashed peas." He laughed at his joke, walking over and opening the door. He stood there, his bright smile slowly fading.

"Hey," Roman said, smiling at Cody. "I um… I hope I'm not barging in on you or anything." He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, looking down at his feet. He felt the tension thick between them. "Do you think I can come in?"

Cody was a little dumb founded as he looked around to find that Roman was indeed alone. "Where's Maxine?" he asked before he thought. He saw the slightly surprised look on Roman's face before it was erased completely with a small smile.

"She's at the spa with Mom and the girls. Trin and Ari more or less kidnapped her into going," Roman explained, his hand falling to his side. "I stopped by the shop first, but Damien said you got off early.

Cody nodded, still rooted to his spot. His hand on the door handle shook, his breathing growing increasingly unsteady. "Wh-why are you here Roman?" he asked this time, his voice barely above a whisper. He didn't trust himself being alone with the other man and he didn't even spare a thought as to why Trinity had lacked telling him that her and the girls were going out.

"You didn't get my voicemails?" Roman asked, heart pounding. "I just wanted to finally talk to you." He shifted from one foot to the other, looking up at the slightly clouding sky. "I've been meaning to since I got here."

Cody tried not to feel the sharpness in his chest. He looked down at his feet, biting his lower lip roughly. He looked up into the grey eyes on him, heart starting to pound so much harder, his breath gone from his body. He couldn't speak. He just stood there; jaw tight around the words filling his mouth.

"You never called me back, so I just figured I'd stop by and get things right between us," Roman said gently, his smile fading into a small frown. "For both of us."

Cody went to open his mouth, his brows furrowing to tell Roman that things were fine. He would just tell Roman he remembered and that he was happy for him, then they would be right, at least he'd have his half out, what Roman did with it was on him. The first bit of voice was only a surprised yelp when he heard a loud crying.

Roman's eyes widened following Cody inside when the smaller male turned and rushed in. He only stood inside the entrance after he'd shut the door, his eyes transfixed on where Cody was picking Jey up and wiping his tears away.

"Hey lil' man, no need for those tears. You get a tummy ache?" Cody asked, smiling brightly at Jey, smoothing the little boy's curls down before his nose curled inwards. "Oh, no, I guess a tummy ache is off the list huh? When are you gonna start saving those for when Daddy picks you up?" He chuckled to himself, walking back towards the spare room, leaving Roman in the living room.

Roman couldn't help but smile, watching Cody and Jey was both heartwarming and heart breaking at the same time. Cody played a great caregiver. He sighed, looking around the house, the walls still the same as when he left, a few new pictures hanging on the walls. His heart ached to still see some of his and Cody's still up.

His eyes fell, noticing that Cody had replaced his missing books on the bookshelf with baby toys and children's videos, mostly Disney. He couldn't help but smile. His eyes landed on the couch, a pillow and folded up comforter on one end. He noticed that the couch had a lot more wear on it, like it was constantly used. He wondered if Cody had someone that stayed with him a lot.

Cody returned, smiling as he set Jey down on the floor and turned on the television, turning the channel to one that only played music. "Now, today we're going to listen to my station. I can't handle anymore kiddie songs." He chuckled, settling on a light rock station before he turned to see Roman again. His smile faltered, seeing that wide smile on Roman's lips. "You can sit down, you used to live here too."

Roman felt a stab at his heart with those words. He nodded, moving to sit on the couch, watching as Cody set up a bunch of little rattles and crinkle toys by Jey. "You'll be a great dad one day," he murmured, stopping when he saw Cody's body tense up. "You've always been good with kids."

Cody nodded, turning to sit down next to Roman, a good bit of space between them. "Maybe one day," he mused, clasping his hands in his lap and looking down at where Jey was playing happily, mouthing a crinkle block as his eyes rested on a colorful foam ball next to his feet. "Right now I just watch Jey while Trin and Jon are working. I didn't know Trin was going out today. I mean, it's not a big deal, I just didn't know."

Roman nodded, looking over at Cody, his eyes wandering over to Jey again. "He's so big. I hate that I missed seeing him right after he was born. He does a lot already though. He was scooting around the other day at my mom's," he started, thinking that maybe he should ease into the conversation he wanted to have with Cody first. He winced when he saw Jey flop to the side to lay on his belly, block still firmly clasped in one hand, a squeal of delight filling the air.

"Yeah, he's getting ready to crawl. He'll be seven months old in a few weeks," he answered, smiling at the baby. He jumped, Roman's hand sliding over and touching his gently. He looked down at the strong hand as it rested against his skin hotly. His smile fell as he thought about previous conversations that him and Roman had on adopting children of their own one day. He felt the sting of tears in his eyes as he jerked his hand away and stood. "You should go."

Roman looked over at Cody, surprised at the rushed words. "What? I just got here," he questioned, taken aback and slightly hurt. He still had a lot that he needed to say to Cody. "Why?"

Cody sighed as he watched Jey rub his eyes and start to fuss. He was thankful for the escape of putting Jey down for a nap. He gently scooped him up into his arms and cradled him to his chest. He smoothed back some of the black curls, smiling down as a big yawn escaped the little body. "Because," he began, looking down into the dark grey eyes, wishing they didn't remind him so much of Roman's. "If you don't, I'll start asking a bunch of questions that I'm not sure I want the answers to."

Roman's brows furrowed as he stood, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets. "Like what Cody?" he asked lowly, watching as a shiver ran through the brunette. He waited, only to have Cody walk away towards the spare room. "Cody?" He followed a few steps, watching as Cody shook his head, their eyes meeting briefly. He'd wait until Jey was down for his nap. He knew it wouldn't take long.

Cody wrapped Jey up in a blanket before he kissed his forehead, the little eye lids starting to droop. "Sleep well little man, we're going to have all kinds of fun when you wake up," he said softly, humming as he cradled Jey to him just a little longer, hoping to pull some sort of courage from the baby. He laid Jey down in the portable crib he had and slipped a pacifier into his mouth, Jey accepting it greedily.

Jey's little hands shot up to his mouth, holding his pacifier close as he rolled to his side and quickly drifted off. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he was lost to the world of dreams.

Cody smiled, ruffling the black hair gently before he turned, and walked out, leaving the door cracked so he could hear Jey when he woke. His mind was racing faster than he could keep up with. He was silent, unable to meet Roman's gaze as he walked back to where Roman was still standing.

"Like what?" Roman asked again, this time firmer. He crossed his arms over his chest, waiting anxiously for Cody's answer. He knew they had a lot that needed to come out between them and he'd let Cody get his out first. After all, he was only there to apologize for springing Maxine on him and everyone else.

Cody felt anger grow in him, mixing with his fear and curiosity and confusion. It was now or never. He could finally ask Roman all the things that he'd been questioning since he'd left. "Like why you changed your number," he started, his voice shakier than he'd hoped. "You didn't call or text. If you didn't want me to have your number you could have at least emailed me back. I sent you at least two. I waited weeks for you to answer me." He took a breath, his entire body starting to tremble under Roman's slowly softening gaze. "You kept in touch with Dean and Seth, even Brad but not me. I couldn't even get a fucking email. Why Ro?" He was hurt and he knew Roman could hear it in his voice. He looked up, finding that Roman's eyes weren't on him anymore.

"I just wanted to start over," Roman answered gently, looking down at his feet, nibbling on his lower lip. He didn't dare tell Cody that a single phone call from him could have easily brought him back to Florida without a second thought. He hadn't even read Cody's emails, afraid that he'd reading them would send him into a frenzy of either trying to get home or finding out that Cody had found someone else.

"They why didn't you just fucking leave?!" Cody bit out, jaw tightening to stop the threat of tears. "You came to see me before you left Roman. If you were just going to cut me out completely why did you take me to our spot? Why did you hold me like that? Why were you so fucking gentle when you made love to me?" His voice had faded into a whisper, but he knew Roman could hear him.

Cody groaned in frustration when Roman stayed silent, leaving the tension thick between them. He turned his back to the Samoan and walked into the dining room, resting his hands on the top of the long cabinet, taking deep, shaking breaths. "It wasn't over for me Roman. I know that's selfish but damn it, I love you!" he snapped, looking over to where Roman was still stuck to his spot, those grey eyes focused right on him again. His voice grew quiet as he looked back down at where his hands were shaking on the counter top. "I've always loved you."

Roman was in shock, those words hitting him harder than he ever expected them to. He swallowed hard, trying to swallow down the confession that still loomed in the air. He took a step closer to Cody, unsure of what to do or even say at that moment. He couldn't tell Cody that he was still getting over him. He couldn't say that just seeing him had Roman's entire head frazzled and his heart raging a storm in his chest. He took another step, pausing when he saw the first tear roll down Cody's cheek and one hand came up to angrily wipe it away.

He took a breath, Cody's entire body starting to shake under his watchful eye. "Cody?" he asked gently, reaching out to touch Cody's shoulder. He wanted to comfort him, apologize for tormenting him for so long. Before his hand made contact he stopped and pulled it back to his chest, swallowing hard in uncertainty. Would Cody even want his comfort now? The words struck him hard as he thought them over, questions of his own popping up. "Why didn't you say all that then?" he asked back, shaking his head, wishing he'd known. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"What good would it have done that night?" Cody shot out, his voice shaky and low. "You were leaving Ro. I couldn't ask you to stay after you told me about your new job, your new place and how it was all ready for when you got there. I can be a selfish prick, but I wasn't going to drag you down. You had a new life already planned, it didn't matter if I said it or not. You were still leaving."

Roman stood in shock, those words sounding so much like the ones he would hear from his Cody from before the accident. He wondered if Cody remembered anything from before, but tried not to dwell, knowing it would only put him in an awful headspace. He let out a soft breath, taking another step closer, pulling Cody into his arms, his body warming at the contact. His heart jumped and stomach flipped all at the same time, the same bolt of emotion running through him. His arms tightened around Cody, never wanting to let him go. He felt a spark run through him, setting his nerves ablaze, a reaction he hadn't felt so strong since he'd left Cody that night.

Cody couldn't help but cling to Roman, his face buried in Roman's shoulder as his fingers clutched his shirt. He leaned into the bigger body, soaking up the same tropical scent that he loved so much and just the feeling of Roman's warm embrace. He felt the same lightening pass through him, making his body more aware of how tightly Roman held him, how those strong hands were clutching as the sides of his shirt, almost begging him to stay and never move. He didn't dare look up or let his fingers untangle from the back of Roman's shirt, knowing he's only do something stupid.

A few moments past with nothing but the sound of a rock song passing between them and their own breathing. Cody could hear Roman's heart pounding in his chest. He hated it, hated how they were, how hard it was to just stand there. "It's not like I didn't try," he murmured, pulling back and away from Roman completely. "I tried calling you the day you left. I tried to catch you but it was too late."

Roman felt his heart skip a beat as he looked over Cody's somber features. All he'd wanted was right there. Cody _had _wanted him. Cody had wanted to fix things between them and he'd severed things the moment they'd parted. He really hadn't given Cody the chance to chase him. He reached over, tipping Cody's chin up with the crook of his finger, looking deep into the sparkling blue eyes. He could see the deep confliction there, the love that Cody held for him that he was still trying to cover up and hide. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Cody's, his eyes closing. "Cody… I…."

Cody felt his own eyes close as Roman's arms wrapped around him again, pulling their bodies close together, large hands gently tugging him in by his hips. "Don't… please just don't," he murmured, knowing that the pain could be heard in his voice. "I just wanted to know why. That's all."

Roman's eyes opened, meeting Cody's blue one before they moved down to the pink lips he'd kissed so many times before. He couldn't deny it. He still wanted those lips on his. He still wanted Cody. He moved in just a little closer, his eyes flicking back up to Cody's.

Cody turned away, evading the soft kiss that he knew Roman would press against him. His eyes closed as he felt Roman tense. Never had he refused to share a kiss with the Samoan man. "No," he murmured, struggling to push Roman away. "Not while you're with her." He pulled away completely. He looked up into the beautiful grey eyes, shock and confusion with a touch of hurt staring back at him. "I've done enough to you. I won't ruin what you and her have. I know she makes you happy. I can see it in your face when she's around." He was quiet for a moment, forcing himself to try and smile. "This is over, we're over. I understand that now."

"Cody…."

"Just go Ro," Cody interrupted, turning and walking away. "Go before something stupid happens." He turned to face Roman, his arms crossing over his chest. It hurt to push Roman away, to be as cold as he was by just telling Roman to leave. He knew that it was for his sake too. This was just a small visit. In the end, Roman would still have to go back to Iowa with Maxine and anything that happened between them would just be forgotten again. He'd be ignored like he didn't exist. He knew that, and he couldn't handle the idea of allowing Roman in just to get left out in the cold again.

"Cody," Roman tried again, walking over, reaching out to touch the broad shoulders. Once again Cody shrugged away from him and he pretended that it didn't hurt so much. He bit his lower lip, looking down at the floor once again. "I'm sorry." He looked up, seeing the hurt in Cody's eyes. "This isn't how I wanted this to be. I'm sorry for springing Max on you like this and I should've at least emailed you back. I'm sorry."

Cody shook his head, watching as Roman stood there for a moment longer. "It's fine—"

"No, it's not fine!" Roman snapped, jaw tightening when he saw Cody flinch at the words. "If it was fine you wouldn't be standing there like this. You wouldn't be so upset and you would've at least called me so we could talk about things. This is not fine!"

"It's what it has to be!" Cody snapped back, swallowing hard. "You live in Iowa. Your life is in Iowa now. No, I'm not fine, but I will be. After everything I put you through, I deserve this. I deserve to see you happy You _deserve_ to be happy." He took a moment, breathing heavily. His eyes shifted down to the floor. "She's pretty Ro, she makes you laugh and your parents already like her. As long as you're happy, that's what matters in the end."

Roman was silent as he digested the words, knowing that he couldn't argue against those points. Instead of trying he just sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets and let the awkward silence float around them. He took a moment to try and calm his thoughts down before he walked towards the door, grabbing the handle before he turned to where Cody was standing, watching him. "I just want you to be happy too Cody." With that he opened the door and walked away, finding that with each step his heart cracked a little more in his chest. This was not what he'd been expecting. This was not how he'd wanted to come home to be like. He sighed, shutting the door behind him, thinking he needed time to really think about what he was doing before he tried to talk to Cody again.

* * *

(A/N): So, the boys finally got a little talking done, and no interruptions from Max or Sika! So, what do you guys think? Thoughts are wonderful! Hope you liked it! Hold on tight loves! Onwards and upwards! Title is So Close, So Far by Hoobastank.

JacktheSinister_JaketheJust


	11. Talking To The Moon

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 10.  
**

**Note: Sorry this is so late guys. After computer troubles and just plain being exhausted, I was scurrying to get it out as quickly as I could. But here it is, I hope you like it. See you Monday. Enjoy! -JJ**

* * *

_**Talking To The Moon**_

Seth sat on the edge of the pier, his bare feet submerged in the cool water. He sighed as he looked up at the darkening sky. He wasn't in any hurry to get home, knowing that his apartment would just be lonely. He didn't want to go back to Dean's either. He needed the space to think.

He still had the idea of him and Dean moving in together rolling around in his head, the words refusing to leave him. He hadn't heard another word from Dean about it, but he knew Dean would easily grow impatient for an answer, a real answer and not the same, 'I'll think about it' answer he'd given. He laid back on the empty pier, his dark eyes searching through the clouds for some kind of answer. He wanted to talk to someone, anyone. The problem being he really didn't have anyone.

He'd talked to Cody the day before about how Roman had showed up and how the entire conversation had gone. He knew Cody was under a lot of stress, his emotions reeking havoc on him as he struggled to tell Roman that he remembered, that he was back.

At the same time he'd wanted to call Roman, ask his opinion but he couldn't. He was still angry with Roman. It wasn't even the Maxine thing that had him so angry anymore. It was just everything. How he'd come back expecting things to be okay, how he'd kept Cody at a distance, kept all of them at a distance just to come back and want things to be how they'd been before he'd left.

He groaned, covering his face with both hands, scrubbing his eyes with the heel of his hands, trying not to think. He was tired of thinking, tired of analyzing, tired of trying to figure out the right choice. He reached into his pocket, looking at the screen. It was a photo of him and Dean, both smiling and happy in each other's arms. He smiled, thinking about just how much he loved Dean. He really just needed a little more time.

He unlocked the screen and scrolled through the numbers, landing on Cody's, wondering if maybe he wanted to go out and get a couple drinks. He knew today had to be rough on him.

* * *

Cody sat on the grass, watching the empty tracks below. He'd been sitting there for the better part of an hour, knowing that he was far to early to see the train speed by. Darkness had just fallen, the horizon still tinged with a deep red color after the sun had sunk below. He had come out hoping that being there would give him the space he needed to think, to really look at where he was and figure out what he should do.

It was obvious that him and Roman still needed to talk. He hadn't achieved the one goal he had yet, and that was to tell Roman that he remembered, that he was back to the person he'd been, more or less. He had to at least get that much off of his chest before he could fully embrace the idea of letting Roman go and moving on.

He sighed, as he laid back, looking up into the cloudy sky, his mood a direct reflection of the ominous clouds above him. He closed his eyes, swallowing hard as he thought, the constant reminder of what day it was slamming into him over and over again. It was what would be his and Roman's anniversary.

Exactly a year prior, he had been out with Roman, eating and talking, holding tight to each other in crazy winter they'd had. It was the first kiss they'd shared since the accident. And what kind of kiss it was. Cody could still feel the bolts of attraction just thinking of their tender kiss on the pier. The same kiss he'd tried to play off as nothing back then. The same kiss that had meant more to him that he wanted to admit.

He groaned as his eyes opened back up. He searched the sky for answers, wishing that they would just fall into his lap. He knew life was never that easy, at least not for him. He felt the warm breeze caress his skin, rustling the tree branches. He smiled as he closed his eyes once more, the night so similar to the one four years prior.

Him and Roman were standing there, his own breathing ragged and unsteady. It was right after he'd agreed to going out with Roman, his hands buried deep in the near shoulder length hair. It really was one of his favorite memories, the beginning of it all. Their beginning. He could still feel the pressure of Roman's soft lips on his, taste the sweet tang of alcoholic punch. He could still smell that expensive cologne that Roman used to wear all the time. But most of all, he could still feel how hard his heart beat that night; how his body had trembled in the warm night in Roman's gently embrace.

He let out another sigh, opening his teary blue eyes. That was the past. That was four years ago. Everything was over now. Roman had someone else, someone that made him happy. Cody shook his head as he sat up, thinking that he was only torturing himself by dragging things out like this. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, pausing only when he saw the same background he'd had for ages. Him and Roman smiling, their cheeks pressed together. In that moment he lost all courage and let the phone rest on his thigh, his eyes moving down to the tracks again.

He could always do what he used to do. He could go and stand on the tracks, looking both ways, the track extending for miles in either direction before it turned and was hidden by trees. He could always think about how he's walk down them, leaving anything and everything behind while he carved a new path. He snickered, thinking that he'd thought about running away a lot as a kid, today was no different but now it wasn't just a silly thought. He could follow those tracks and find a new life. It was an exciting and terrifying thought wrapped into one.

"I figured you'd be here."

Cody's head whipped around, his eyes widening as they landed on Roman's tall form as he walked closer. "What are you doing out here?" he questioned, grabbing his phone and shoving it into his pocket. He didn't want Roman to see his background.

Cody's blue eyes ran over Roman's freshly shaven cheeks, the extra scruff gone leaving only his mustache and goatee like he'd had before he'd left. His heart felt like a jackhammer in his chest, his eyes wide at just how handsome Roman looked. He turned his head, the heat in his cheeks forcing him to keep his eyes on the tracks.

"No one knew where you were. Michelle called me, saying she couldn't get you on your cell," Roman explained, sitting down next to Cody, his grey eyes flicking down to the tracks. He breathed in the salty air, wishing he could just keep it in his lungs to take back with him to Iowa. He really did miss the air.

Grey eyes looked over to Cody, looking over the loose black t-shirt, the blue jeans slightly oversized for Cody's frame. He still had things he needed to say to Cody, things that he should've said before he'd come home.

Cody didn't meet Roman's eyes, keeping his focus on the tracks below. "I'll call her when I get back. I just wanted some time to myself today," he said, his voice low, rough. He was sure Roman knew what he meant. The entire day had been hell on him emotionally and he justed wanted to be alone without interruption. "You don't have to stay here."

"I know," Roman returned, his own awkwardness laced in. "I want to though. I… um… I still have some things I needed to say." He took a breath, pulling his knees up to rub his palms on. "I'm still sorry about this. I never meant to spring Maxine on you like I did. When we came over to talk to you at the party, it wasn't to rub her in your face. I just…" he stopped, biting his lower lip, chewing the tender flesh as he thought of the right words. "I just wasn't sure if I could talk to you on my own. She knows about you, about us and she wanted the chance to meet you." He paused again, taking a moment to breathe. "I'm sorry for how awkward that was."

Cody looked over, more than a little surprised at Roman's apology. He smiled, looking down at the grass. "It's okay. You don't have to apologize anymore," he answered quietly, wishing that it wasn't so bittersweet for him and Roman to be sitting there. He tried not to remember the last time they were there, how it had been just as tense before they'd fallen silent in each other's arms. His jaw tightened, wishing the memory away.

"No, I need to say all this," Roman went on, turning to face Cody completely. "I spent the last two days thinking about this. I walked out when things with us got hard. I promised you a long time ago that I'd never do that and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have cut you out of my life like I did. I should've kept in contact. There was a lot that we needed to talk about and I just cut off everything. I can't go back and fix that so I'm saying it all now."

Cody was surprised at the words, his heart pounding as he sat there. His eyes were focused right on Roman's pleading ones. He tried not to chew on his lower lip nervously. Once Roman was done he'd have his moment to tell him, to fix things as much as he could between them.

"I loved you with everything I had. I wanted a future with you Cody and if I would've just stayed here and talked to you, maybe I could've still had that," Roman went on, a sad note of finality in his voice. "But I didn't and for that I am beyond sorry. And the other day at your house, that was stupid of me. I shouldn't have done all that. I shouldn't have yelled or any of that."

Cody just listened, unsure if he was awake or dreaming. There was no way that Roman could be telling him all this. He looked down at his hands, the white tan line on his finger almost mocking him. His fingers curled into fists, his ring once again hanging around his neck. He'd taken it off, but he hadn't had the courage to leave it off. "You used to?" he asked gently, looking up into the darkened grey eyes, the darkness falling around them faster, making it difficult to see. "It's stupid. I'm stupid for thinking that you'd come back and we'd be happy like before." He shook his head, moving to stand. He started down the hill, crossing his arms over his chest, the temperature starting to slowly fall.

Roman stood and followed, his jaw tight as him and Cody made it down to the tracks themselves. "Yeah, I mean you're still special to me, but I am with Maxine," he went on, finding that Cody's stance was stiff as he looked down the tracks. "I'm happy with her. She's my future now."

Cody tried not to let those words stab him in the heart. He took a breath, thinking that it was now or never. "Can I ask you a serious question? I want you to be honest with me Ro," he said, turning to face Roman, his blue eyes almost pleading for Roman to answer like he hoped.

Roman nodded, heart pounding as a gust of wind wrapped around them. He swallowed hard, resting his hands on his hips, waiting for Cody. "I owe you that much at least," he murmured, keeping his and Cody's eyes locked.

Cody took a moment to phrase his question. "What would happen if I remembered? Would things change between us?" he asked, his heart pounding. He didn't know why he phrased it like that. He knew he should've just said it out right that he remembered but he couldn't help but ask. He wasn't sure if he just wanted to know if Roman would come back to him or if his fears of being alone would be answered. He held his breath, unable to think as the words floated around them, leaving nothing but the sound or rustling trees around them as the breeze blew.

Roman looked down at the tracks, breaking eye contact. He took a breath, letting it out quickly as he thought. He honestly didn't know. That was an 'if' he'd been living with since the moment Cody found out about who they used to be. "I don't really know," he said softly, looking up. He was conflicted internally, knowing that it would weigh heavily on him. "But it probably wouldn't matter now. I know that's callous to say but I really like Maxine. She does make me happy. After everything we went through, I don't know if I could just go back to how things were before the accident. You really tore me apart."

Cody winced, knowing that it was the truth. He really had messed things up with them. It didn't make the answer hurt any less. Bitterly, he smiled, thinking that it didn't matter anymore if Roman knew. Things wouldn't be any different, why add unnecessary stress to their already awkward situation. He turned away again, closing his eyes to keep the tears at bay. "I see."

"Do you remember anything?" Roman asked almost hopefully. Instantly, he hated just how much he wanted Cody to say yes. He reminded himself that things wouldn't change, that what he'd said had been the truth.

Cody smiled softly, sadly. He stepped up onto the rail and looked down the railway. "Not really," he answered, starting to slowly walk, focusing on his balance just so he didn't say something stupid. "Just a couple things here and there."

Roman felt his heart sink, wondering why he felt so deflated at the answer. He walked with Cody, letting the silence surround them. He wouldn't admit to himself how much that no had affected him. "So, things haven't changed much since I left," he noted softly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Cody stopped, hopping down from the rail. "Not really. Seth and Dean are still together. Paige and Dean still work together. Her and Seth are actually pretty cool now. I'm still at Dame's bookstore. Ted moved away a couple months ago. Him and his new wife moved out to Orlando to open another firm. Mike and Maryse are traveling in Europe," he explained, finding that it was easier to talk about their friends. He didn't mind the light conversation. As long as he got Roman to himself just a little longer, his last bit of selfishness.

"I see. Jay and Ari are still together. Brad's still single."

"I know," Cody said, turning to Roman. "He was pining after you too." He couldn't help but smile at the wide eyed, nervous look on Roman's face. "I know about what happened. He told me about it before you came home."

"Oh."

Cody couldn't help but chuckle. "It doesn't matter," he said, his voice dropping. "You were technically single. I couldn't get mad, same with Evan. I was stupid for acting like that, so stupid. I had no right to be jealous when I left first." He looked away, making his way back to where he'd been sitting before.

Roman felt uncomfortable, Cody bringing up their past. In a way he was glad, things would be ironed out and he wouldn't have to think about it anymore. "So, what happened with you and Drew?" he asked, sitting down in the grass with Cody after they'd returned to where they'd first sat.

Cody's eyes narrowed. "We just had a falling out. He doesn't want to see me and I don't want to see him. I know it doesn't matter, but when I came home that night, I'd broke it off with him. So when I moved into his place, it wasn't because there was something still going on," he explained, looking over the trees at the billowing smoke as it started in the horizon. "I know it doesn't matter now, but I just wanted you to know that."

Roman nodded, sighing softly. The truth was finally coming out between them and it was bittersweet. "I really did miss you in Iowa," he said, wanting to change the subject somehow. While he didn't mind knowing, he didn't want to think about it. He knew if he dwelled on it more than he already had it wouldn't be good.

"I missed you too. I'm glad you're back and you're happy. I sincerely mean it," Cody returned. He really meant it. While he was still a bit devastated, he was glad to see a smile on Roman's perfect lips. "So you and Maxine, how long have you been together?"

Roman took a moment to think, finding that talking about her with Cody was awkward. "I started seeing her in July. So like five months. My neighbor hooked us up," he explained, thinking that he'd never told Cody a think about his life in Iowa. "You'd like Shea. He's a pretty cool guy."

Cody smiled, nodding. "Sounds like you have a bunch of new friends up there."

Roman nodded. "Yeah. They're pretty cool. Most of them are married or engaged though. Shea's the only bachelor. So we spend a lot of time at each other's apartment," he explained, wondering just what Shea was actually up to. "But what about here? How's things for you?"

Cody shrugged, his eyes returning to the smoke that was slowly coming closer. "Same as before. I spend my days at the bookstore. I watch Jey for Trin and Jon when they have work or need a little time together. He's my little buddy. Seth makes me work out now, said that eating noodles all the time were going to make me fat," he laughed, pulling one knee up to his chest to wrap his arms around it, resting his chin on his knee. "Not much has changed."

"Still eating those god awful noodles?" Roman asked, shaking his head. "I should've known." He was teasing Cody and the bright smile on Cody's lips only seemed to make his heart pound harder in his chest. While things were different, he was glad that him and Cody could still have this kind of light hearted conversation. He was quiet for a moment, letting the comfortable silence take over. "So, this Bo guy. Who is he?"

Cody smiled, laying back on the grass, resting his hands under his head. "Bo's one of the new hires at the shop, that's all," he explained, looking over to where Roman was moving to lay next to him. "He's pretty cool."

"So, he's just a friend?" he asked, forcing himself to keep the jealous tone from escaping his mouth. He was sure that it could still be heard but he wasn't about to admit to it. "Because he seems to really like being around you."

Cody smiled a little wider, looking back up towards the sky. He shrugged, refusing to let Roman know he'd heard the unhappy note in his voice. "Yeah, he's just a friend right now," he started, jerking when he heard Roman suddenly sit up next to him. "He's asked me out a couple times. I'm thinking about taking him up on it and seeing if he wants to go out for lunch tomorrow."

Roman refused to look over at Cody. He refused to admit how badly those words affected him. "I don't like him," he said without thinking, his darkened eyes looking down at Cody. He could see the confusion in those beautiful blue orbs. "He just rubs me the wrong way."

Cody chuckled, wiggling into the grass a little to get comfortable before his eyes rested once again on the slowly emerging stars. "Well, he shouldn't be rubbing you at all. Maxine wouldn't be happy if she knew," he teased, looking over to see that Roman's darkened look hadn't changed. He'd heard the pitiful forced chuckle that sounded more like a grunt, but he refused to believe that maybe Roman was feeling a little jealous. He looked over, Roman's darkened eyes focused on the billowing smoke in the distance. For a moment he regretted not telling him that he remembered, but quickly he pushed that away, knowing that it was better this way. There was no reason to complicate things between them by bringing up his old feelings.

Roman looked over, finding an almost hurt look on Cody's handsome features. It caused his heart to flip in his chest, making him feel like he needed to reach out and just hold Cody to him. He fought hard against it, knowing the outcome wouldn't be good. "You okay?" he asked gently, his hand reaching out to rest on Cody's shoulder.

Lighting shot through Cody, electrifying every nerve inside him. He had to get away from that feeling. "I'm okay, just thinking that I was gonna go home. I've been out here for a while," he said, shrugging Roman's hand off and standing. He looked over the trees below them; jaw tight.

"You're not going to watch the train with me?" Roman asked softly, almost hoping for Cody sit back down and spend a little more time with him. He surprised himself with the words, knowing that he was asking for too much. He was being almost insensitive to Cody's own feelings.

Cody smiled before shaking his head. "Not this time Ro," he said gently, almost helplessly as he turned his attention back to the other man. "It wouldn't be a good idea right now anyway. I'll see you later." With that he started walking back to his car, trying not to feel the gaping hole that was slowly widening in his chest.

"Hey Cody!" Roman called, getting up from his spot. He waited until Cody turned back to him before he forced himself to smile. "Get someone cuter than that Bo kid, okay?" he teased, shoving his hands in his pockets, sighing when he saw Cody smile and heard the same low chuckle he loved so much. He stood there, watching as Cody walked away. He felt his heart ache, his body fighting against him, wanting nothing more than to chase after him. He heard the engine start before the crunching of gravel mixed with the far off train whistle.

Roman knew he was alone after he'd seen Cody's car pull away. He sighed, turning to watch as the smoke came a little closer. There was still a good amount of time before the train would pass at the base of the hill, but Roman knew he wouldn't be watching it. He'd come out there hoping to find Cody for his own reasons more than to tell him to call Michelle.

He'd needed the time to himself as well, knowing all to well what day it was. The fifteenth of December, what would've been his and Cody's 4th year together. He shook his head, the spot overwhelming with memories. He turned, biting his lower lip as he made his way back to his car, the bitter truth of Cody still missing part of his memory slicing at his heart. For a moment he wondered if staying in Iowa would've actually been better than this.

* * *

Roman pushed open the door to his hotel room, his head still swimming with thoughts about Cody. He still wasn't happy with how they were. Things had still felt awkward and he wasn't at all comfortable with that Bo guy being around Cody. He refused to admit that he was jealous. He refused to admit that seeing Cody made him want to hold him in his arms, apologize and forget that everything had happened.

He kicked his shoes off and pulled his shirt off before he sat down on the king sized bed. He could hear the shower going. For a moment he contemplated walking in and joining his girlfriend, maybe it would distract him from his thoughts for a while. He just didn't want to think about Cody, or how he was thinking about asking someone else out. He didn't know if he could handle that while he was there.

He flopped back on the bed, his arms coming up to rest under his head as he closed his eyes. He laid there for a moment, trying to think of things that him and Maxine could do over the rest of the holiday. After a few moments he was dosing, exhausted emotionally.

Roman felt light kissed on his chest, damp hair brushing against his arm, a hot tongue running over his dusky nipple. He bit his lower lip, a groan escaping. Maxine hadn't paid much attention to his chest before and the sudden feeling mixed with being half asleep only made him think of Cody's talented tongue on him again.

"You could've joined me," she whispered, moving back up to press a gentle kiss to Roman's lip, pulling back with a smile. She looked down into the darkened grey eyes, one hand coming up to smooth back a few locks of hair from Roman's face. "Enjoy your drive?"

Roman nodded, feeling a little bad for lying. He'd told her that he was only going to go for a drive to clear his head. Well, it was only half a lie. He'd been driving but after Michelle's phone call he'd just found himself at his and Cody's spot. That's what he'd tried to convince himself anyway. He wasn't already on his way out of town when she'd called; it was all just a coincidence.

"Good," she murmured, resting her head on his chest, smiling at the steady beat of his heart against her ear. "So, I was thinking that we could go to the beach tomorrow. We can get all of your friends together and have a fun day out. Sound like fun?"

Roman nodded again, wrapping his arms around Maxine, pulling her closer to him. He didn't want to think about tomorrow. He didn't really want to think about anything. His heart was still aching in his chest while his head raged war on itself with what he really wanted. He flipped their bodies so he was over her towel covered body, between her long legs. He smirked, looking into her playful eyes.

Maxine groaned when Roman's lips moved down on hers. Her arms wrapping around his neck and tangling his hair while he gently removed her towel. He pressed into her, her shower warmed skin hot against his.

Roman's lips moved down her neck, pulling gasps and moans from her lips as her body arched up into his. He wrapper her legs around his waist as he ground down into her, his erection brushing against her already moist center.

The roughness of Roman's jeans only furthered her heat, her passion. "Roman," she whimpered, his mouth taking in a dark nipple, his other hand gently massaging her breast and teasing her nipple lightly. She was in heaven, his motions softer, gentler than they'd had ever been before.

Roman was gentle with her, refusing to let her get more than a couple inches away from him. He refused to let her body go. He couldn't let her get away at that moment. He needed her heat, her passion. His lips moved without thought, his hands caressing and teasing until he was buried deep inside her wet heat, his arms holding her even closer to him as his face pressed into her neck.

He could smell her citrus shampoo, the light airy scented lotion she used daily. His entire body was numb with pleasure, her body sucking him in deeper and deeper, his mind growing quieter and quieter. She would silence it. Roman could barely hear her gasps of pleasure. He still tasted her sweetness on his tongue as he slowly thrust in and out of her, wanting nothing more than to consume her entire body, get lost in her feel. He was desperate to showhow pull her body into his, melting their skin into one. He wanted to drown in her scent so that he would never stray from her.

* * *

Maxine rested on Roman's chest, breathing heavily. He smiled, both of them sweaty and tired of that intense session of love making. She couldn't get over just how needy yet gentle Roman had been. She moved to his side, touching the sticky mess on her belly for him. "You know I'm on birth control. You don't have to pull out every time," she teased, earning a smile from her boyfriend.

"I don't trust those things completely," he admitted, pressing a kiss to her forehead, pulling her body closer to him. His mind had been stilled for that moment, the blissful high of release still floating over him.

Maxine's smile fell as she laid her head on Roman's chest. She knew there was something wrong, that he was thinking about something else. She could see it in how he acted, feel it when he was alone with her. Never had he been so gentle but demanding during sex. "Everything okay?" she finally asked, looking up into a cracked open grey eyes. "Tonight was… just different."

Roman smiled, nodding. "Yeah, everything's fine babe," he answered, his smile falling when she settled on his chest again. It was just a small lie, a little one. The truth was, he wasn't okay. Things weren't okay. His mind was slowly returning to that jumbled mess of questions and confusion and wonder.

* * *

(A/N): So, I'm sorry that this is late guys. I've had a rough couple days. Honestly, I started out loving this chapter and right about now I'm just kinda meh about it. So, thoughts are wonderful. What's in store for all our boys? Also, this chapter is probably littered with typos. I tried proof reading and I can't focus. I'll probably go back and try again later. Onwards and upwards. Title is Talking To The Moon by Bruno Mars.


	12. Loaded And Alone

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 11.  
**

**Note: I'm so sorry I'm behind guys! This is to celebrate 100 reviews! You guys are so amazing, completely and truly! You guys have no idea how much it means to me that you guys are enjoying this! I hope I can keep that up! Thank you so much! Also, hold onto your hats, this chapter might be a little curvy. =] See you Monday! Enjoy! -JJ**

* * *

_**Loaded And Alone**_

Cody sat in the booth, nursing a beer, his blue eyes focused on the downcast brown ones across from him. "I'm glad you called," he admitted, smiling wistfully down at the neck of his bottle. "I needed a drink after tonight." He chuckled, looking up to see that Seth's demeanor hadn't changed. "Hey, what's up man? What happened?"

Seth shrugged, the right words hard to find to describe his mood. He looked down at his own glass, the ice half melted making his drink a little watery. "Just a lot going on with Dean," he murmured, pressing the rim of his glass to his lips and drinking the rest of his drink in one go.

"You and him have another fight?" Cody asked gently, cocking his head to the side. He could see that whatever it was, was bothering Seth to the point that he wasn't in a slightly cheerful mood, something that was always amplified when he drank. "Seth?"

"He wants me to move in with him," Seth finally said, looking up almost fearfully. "And I don't know if that's what I want to do." He blew out a sigh, getting up from the table and walking over to the bar. He ordered another drink and a beer for Cody before paying and walking back. He set Cody's beer down in front of him. "I like the independence of being alone. I can have as much space as I need or want."

Cody couldn't help but smile lightly, remembering how it had been for him and Roman when they'd moved in together. "It's not the space you're thinking about," he breathed, finishing his beer and taking the fresh one. "I'd believe that if you actually spent time at your place. You shower there sometimes and on occasion you'll sleep there. You practically live with Dean now, unofficially."

Seth felt the corners of his mouth turn up at that. Though it did nothing to help his deepest fears, fears he wasn't sure if he could speak of without sounding like an idiot.

"It's nice waking up to someone with you every morning, lazy morning sex, a shower together, lounging around. Ya know, the usual. Or if you're running late the quick make out and grope before one of you runs out the door," he explained, waving his hand in the air, a small pain growing in his chest. Those were things he'd loved when it was him and Roman.

"Speaking from experience?" Seth asked with a chuckle, not thinking about Cody's own situation. He stiffened, watching as Cody's face fell into a somber quiet. "Shit man, I didn't mean to…." He stopped, Cody shaking his head. "Did you guys ever get things figured out?"

Cody looked down at his fresh beer, swiping it up and downing half of it. "Something like that," he murmured, the ache in his heart only growing. "He showed up at our spot tonight. And he apologized for the way things turned out."

Seth listened intently, shaking off his own depressed problems to listen about his two best friends. "So you two made up right? He knows about you and this?" he asked anxiously, reaching across the table and grabbing Cody's hands in his. "Cody?" His heart was pounding, excited to hear what had happened.

Cody gently tugged his hands back and laid them in his lap, his blue eyes falling to the table. "Not really. We're friends, I guess, but that's all," he said, sighing as he took the bottle and took another long drink. His brows furrowed as he thought about the lie that had been bothering him since he'd left the hill.

"But you told him you remember, right?" Seth asked again, pulse raging. He knew Cody was hiding something from him and he only hoped that his hunch was wrong. "Cody?"

Cody shook his head, looking around the bar so he didn't have to meet Seth's gaze. "I asked him if remembering would change anything," he started, one hand coming up to rub against his upper arm. "He said no, Seth. So, what was the point of telling him?"

Seth sat there, his jaw tight as he grew irritated. "Cody, you didn't fucking tell him after all that? He's right here, you need to say something!" he snapped exasperatedly.

"I told him I remember bits and pieces, but not the whole thing. Seth, I couldn't say it after tonight okay. He looked so damn good there and it was torture just sitting there talking about how life was. He's happy with her. I don't want to mess that up for him now."

"It's not messing it up if you just let him know. You're not asking him to come back to you," Seth said, crossing his arms over his head and looking Cody over. "Or were you?" He paused, watching the flicker of pain in Cody's eyes. Instantly, he felt like shit for bringing up Cody's intentions. He already knew Cody's hopes.

Cody let out a heavy, frustrated sigh. "Yeah, I guess that's what I was hoping for in the end. I didn't expect all this to happen or for him to have her. I don't want to shovel more shit on him now. It's bad enough that half of his friends are pissed off at him and that his ex is still in love with him," he mused, his voice growing rough. "I just wanted to be alone today, forget that the world even fucking existed. And he still fucking shows up, wanting to watch the fucking train."

Seth watched as Cody covered his face with his hands as he growled in frustration. "He should still know," he tried again, this time gentler. "He's been waiting on that since the accident. He can say he wants Maxine all he wants but I know he still loves you. You don't just stop loving someone like that."

Cody shook his head, hands dropping to his lap again. "Doesn't matter. None of it matters. They're together Seth, just accept that and move on. That's all we can do now."

"You're starting to sound like Dean," Seth grumbled, taking a sip of his drink. "At least tell him for yourself Cody. This is going to eat you alive if you don't." He set his glass down, feeling his pocket vibrate. He pulled out his phone and read the message quickly.

Cody shrugged again, leaning back against the booth. "You aren't going to run and tell him?" he asked, almost shocked that Seth wasn't going to get involved with him and Roman. He couldn't count how many times Seth had been there in his and Roman's relationship somehow.

Seth shook his head, tapping out his message on his screen. "No. This is something you have to do Cody. He told you about your memory on his own back when you went through the album. Don't make the same mistakes he did. Hiding this isn't going to make anything better." He shoved his phone back in his pocket, thinking that it might be better to change the subject. "Anyway, think about that. And, I know this is weird but what are some girl themes that are popular right now?"

Cody's brows furrowed in confusion. "I don't know, butterflies or owls, maybe. All of Jey's stuff is in jungle print or trucks," he said, shrugging. "Why? You know someone having a girl?"

Seth smiled. "I'm just helping plan out a nursery and he's having a little girl, that's all," he explained, wondering if Cody would flip out if he told him that he was helping Phil.

"That's nice of you. Who's having a baby?" Cody asked, finishing his beer and looking Seth over intently. "And don't tell me it's just one of your customers. Is it one of the girls at the studio?"

Seth shook his head, growing a little nervous. "If I tell you, you can't freak out," he said lowly, his fingers starting to pick at themselves on the table top. "Phil's having a little girl. She's due here in a few weeks and he's trying to get the nursery done for her." He looked up, Cody's blue eyes wide with shock. "Yeah. I'm helping him in my off time to get everything together."

Cody suddenly wished he was drinking something a lot stronger than beer. "Dean know?" he asked, moving to fiddle with the bottle, rolling the base around on the table, feeling nervous for his friend. "Let me rephrase, because if he knew he'd flip shit. When do you plan on telling him?"

Seth was quiet. "I've been trying but every time I even think about bringing it up, I know he's going to freak out," he said, looking down at the table. "I don't want to stress him out any more than he already is, ya know? With Titus's mom and working so much and now this moving in thing."

"Are you listening to yourself? If you don't fucking tell him he's going to flip shit when he does find out. And I don't blame him. This is Punk we're talking about, ya know the guy that used to beat the shit out of you. The one that treated you like a whore when you and Dean were having that rough patch. You actually trust him not to do anything?" He was in disbelief when Seth nodded. "You're a fucking idiot."

Seth's eyes narrowed as he downed his drink and stood. "You don't have to believe me but he's changed a lot. He's just trying to make his own way now," he snapped, slamming his empty glass on the table. He already knew that Cody wasn't going to support him. "At least we know where the other stands." He took a step towards the door.

"That's all well and good but what about Dean, Seth? He's the one you're with, he deserves to know that you're out helping your abusive ex!" he called, Seth turning to him and storming back over.

"Yeah and I'm not the one lying to the guy I love about who I am. Roman deserves to know that you remember!" he retorted, both breathing heavily as a heated stare sparked between them.

Cody shrugged, turning his head away from Seth. He heard the heavy footsteps on the floor and the opening of the bar's door before he sighed. It wasn't the first argument him and Seth had had, it certainly wouldn't be the last.

He sat there a little longer, thinking over what Seth had said. He was right that he should've told Roman that he did remember but he didn't want to complicate things anymore than they already were. Roman was only going to be there for a couple more weeks, then he would be going back to Iowa. Then things would just be how they'd been before. He saw no reason to change that now, not when the end result would still be the same.

"Hey there Rhodes!"

Cody looked up, finding a cheery face right in front of his. He jerked back, smiling when he realized that it was just Brad. "Hey, what're you doing here?" he asked, watching as Brad sat across from him, a taller, dark haired man sliding in next to Brad.

"Well I was taking Barrett here out for a drink but since I saw you, I figured I'd keep you company for a while," he said, his voice upbeat. "Wade this is Cody, Cody this is Wade. Cody's a friend of mine and Wade here's my new office mate." He asked Wade to get them all a round and handed him a few bills. "Make sure they're strong." After Wade had left the booth he looked back at Cody. "You okay? Today's gotta be rough on you."

Cody shrugged, looking down at the tabletop. "It's not so bad. A little lonely is all. So, you and that guy get along?" he asked, remembering Brad saying at one point that him and his office mate hated each other.

"Eh, we're getting there. Just so happens that we like a lot of the same stuff. At least we're on speaking terms, we'll work on friendship next," he laughed, looking over to where Wade was walking back with their drinks. He took his and sipped at it. "You wanna know something funny? I was sitting here doing this exact same thing last year with Roman."

Wade looked over at Brad a little confused. "You're old officemate?" he asked, his accent thick. "You and him were close then."

Brad saw the slight pain in Cody's features. "We were good friends, that's all. Actually, that's how I met Cody. Him and Roman got together about the time we got stuck in that tiny office together," he explained, setting his drink on the table. "So, anyway, I say we do some shots, party hard, and call in sick tomorrow."

Cody chuckled, agreeing. He drank with Brad and Wade, listening to the two as they bickered back and forth over silly things. He could see the attraction between them, the spark that was there, even if they couldn't. He stood, excusing himself to get a couple more shots. He walked up to the bar, smiling when he thought about just how light he felt. He knew it was just the alcohol but he was happy, giddy even.

"Cody?"

Cody's eyes fell on the other man behind the bar, his eyes widening. "Hey! Bo!" he chuckled, leaning heavily on the bar. "I didn't know you were a bartender too."

Bo smiled, shrugging. "I have a lot of talents, that's all," he answered, ignoring the obnoxious waving of another patron at the other end of the bar. "You looking for something specific?"

Cody shrugged, looking over the back bar, the liquor bottles a little fuzzy. He'd already had a lot to drink between Wade and Brad, both buying all their drinks. "Eh, you pick. I'm looking for something strong for shots. Me and some friends are celebrating."

"Really? What are we celebrating?" Bo questioned, smiling a little wider. He saw the small frown that instantly disappeared on Cody's lips.

"Being single."

Bo couldn't help but laugh at that. He poured a couple shots, telling Cody that these ones were on him this time. He watched as Cody walked away, walking down to the other end of the bar to deal with the asshole down there that was now yelling at him.

Cody returned with the shots and the three of them drank, the time passing quickly as he became more and more inebriated. He could barely see straight he was so far gone, but he was light, happy and that's what he'd wanted.

"So, you still up for celebrating?" Bo's voice rang as he walked up to the table, resting his hands on his hips. "Bo Dallas." He introduced himself to Brad and Wade, smiling as he sat down next to Cody. "You work tomorrow?"

Cody shook his head, instantly wishing that he hadn't, the room starting to spin and blur together. "Nope. Kofi took my shift," he slurred, leaning heavily against the booth. "I'm about to go home. Just gotta call someone to come get me."

Brad reached into his pocket for his phone. "Dean or Seth home?" he asked, hoping that he could easily call one of them to pick Cody up. He saw Cody's disgusted face and was a little shocked.

"Seth's pissed at me. Don't want to see either of them right now," Cody answered, waving his hand.

"I can take you home. My shift's over anyway. One of the girls came in to grab a few more hours. I mean, if that's okay with you," Bo offered, looking Cody's smiling face over. "And you don't even have to pay me. Cabs this time of night are so overpriced."

Cody smiled, nodding a little. That sounded like a great idea to him. "Yeah, you drive?" He heard Bo's embarrassed no. "Here, drive my car," he said, digging into his pocket for his keys before giving them to Bo. "But drive slow. I drank a little too much and I don't want to clean that up tomorrow."

Bo nodded, getting up after Cody had started pushing him out of the booth. "Nice meeting you," he said, holding Cody around the waist as he helped him out into the parking lot.

Brad shook his head, looking down at his watch to see that the bar wouldn't be close for another hour or so. He watched as Wade stood. "You leaving me now too?" he asked playfully, watching as Wade sat down on the other side of the table.

"No, just stretching out some. So, that guy and your old office mate," he started, wondering how to phrase the questions he had swirling around his head. "They were a thing?"

Brad's smile faded as he grabbed the beer bottle he'd been drinking for and took a swig. "Yeah. You gotta problem with that?" he asked, eyeing Wade almost suspiciously. "Because if you do—"

"No, nothing like that," Wade quickly corrected, shaking his head. "I don't have a problem with two guys dating." He held his hands up, smiling lightly. "I just wondered what the story was. You've only mentioned Roman a couple times, and never that he was with someone."

Brad nodded, tipping up his beer that had been sitting off to the side as a chaser. He shrugged, taking a breath. "It's a long story between them. If two people ever belong together, it's them," he started, taking another sip. "They were together for two years when they got into a really bad wreck. Messed them up real good. Cody had head trauma and it caused him to lose a good chuck of his memory, well, actually took the previous three years."

Wade sat there in shock, completely unsuspecting of such a devastating tale. "So, they made it out okay, right?" he asked, unsure of why he seemed to care so much. He watched as Brad gave a half shrug, his face screwing into a half pained, half flustered expression.

"Roman and Cody only met a few months before they started dating. So Cody didn't remember Rome at all. And it started a whole mess between them. Ended up being that after almost a year Roman couldn't take it anymore and transferred up to the University of Iowa," Brad explained, thinking that the bare bones of the story would do. He tried not to think about his own involvement, how he'd had such high hopes just to crash back down to earth. "Roman's back for the holidays. Cody was hoping to tell him that he has his memory back and maybe they could get back together."

Wade nodded, reaching for his own beer, and import, and taking a drink. "I'm guessing that didn't go well," he mused, watching as Brad shook his head sadly. He could see the saddened look on Brad's handsome features.

"No. Roman brought his girlfriend with him. No one knew he was even dating."

"You sound a bit depressed," Wade eased, wondering if there had been something that Brad was leaving out. "Like you're the one that he left behind or something." He was only teasing but the pained look in Brad's guarded eyes told him all he needed to know.

"Nothing like that," Brad laughed, waving his hand as he smiled. "Roman just has this effect on people. He was probably one of my best friends and I didn't even know. I felt a little betrayed I guess." He chuckled, finishing his beer and looking up into Wade's blue eyes.

Wade shrugged, reaching for the empty bottles and glasses. He pulled them to him, his arm grabbed in Brad's hand, the short sleeve of his t-shirt being yanked up. "What are you doing?" he questioned roughly, looking at Brad's wide eyes.

"Look at you!" Brad teased, looking over the beautiful fully bloomed roses and banner Wade's arm. "I didn't think someone as uptight as you would have tattoos!" He looked over the words, reading them to himself silently. _Culture. Alienation. Boredom. Despair._ "These words mean something?" He looked up, a wide smile on Wade's lips. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get all touchy."

Wade shrugged, pulling his arm back and pulling his sleeve up enough for Brad to see the top of it. "They're actually lyrics from one of my favorite songs. This is actually my second tattoo," he explained, turning to show the blue and red and thick black tribal he had on his other arm. "Yeah, got them back in Liverpool in my early twenties."

Brad just looked over the intricate ink, smiling wide. "I've always thought tattoos were cool. Roman's got this full Samoan sleeve on his right arm. It goes all the way down to his wrist and the newest bit is on his chest and his back. It's pretty sweet looking."

Wade chuckled, shaking his head. He refused to acknowledge the small prick of jealousy at the other man's name. He had no clue as to why he suddenly bothered him. "You think those are cool?" he asked, showing his right arm, the one with the roses, and pointed to a thick scar that ran from under his shirt sleeve down to the middle of his tricep. "Got that back in Blackpool when I was twenty two."

Brad's eyes were wide as he looked at it. "What the hell did you do?" he asked, looking up at Brad's beaming face. "What the hell do you do over in the UK?"

Wade couldn't help but let out a laugh. "I used to be a bare knuckle fighter," he clarified, enjoying the look of amazement and shock focused on him. "Yeah. Back before I started doing this line of work, sort of."

Brad just looked at Wade, his eyes focused on the thick scar. "How can you even move your arm?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "What happened?"

Wade pulled his sleeve back down, shrugging. "I was in a fight for a good bit of money and after I won the other bloke wasn't too happy. His mates got me in an alley when I was trying to get back to the place I was staying. Sliced me up good. Lost a good bit of blood but I still had the cash," he explained, laughing at the memory. "I quit fighting after that."

"Well shit man!" Brad murmured, looking at Wade in a new light. He'd really thought that Wade was one of those stuck up, rich, British kids that had grown up living a posh lifestyle. He chuckled, finding out that he was completely wrong about the other man, and for once, he was okay with that. "Shit, you're nothing like I thought you were."

Wade smiled, shrugging. "I'm surprised you never said anything about my nose. Most people comment on it right away and how it sits wrong," he went on, watching as Brad shrugged and looked down at the table. "It got broke a lot when I was fighting so it never healed right."

"I just thought it was how your nose looked," Brad teased, looking up and meeting the sparkling blue eyes. "Bare knuckle fighting huh?" He shook his head, trying to imagine Wade doing just that. "I can't see it."

After a few more drinks Brad and Wade were both feeling really good from the alcohol, both laughing and making jokes before they heard the call for the last drinks. Both decided against it and stood on wobbly legs.

"Shit, I drank too much," Wade cursed, finding that the world was slightly spinning. He hadn't meant to drink nearly as much as he had but he'd found it easy to lose himself when he was around Brad.

"Just leave your car here," Brad slurred, standing and following Wade to the door. "I just live down the street. You can crash on my couch and come back for it in the morning." He nudged Wade, pointing down the near empty street, knowing that it would grow crowded soon after the bars closed.

Wade nodded, slowly walking with Brad, both trying hard not to sway or stumble over nothing. He didn't want a run in with American police over public intoxication. He watched as Brad took the lead, his hips swaying just a little as he walked, the other man talking about blankets or something. Wade wasn't listening. His focus was on Brad's behind, how rounded it was. He'd never noticed how much of an ass the other man had. His sight jerked up when Brad turned to him, motioning that they had to climb up some stairs.

Brad pulled his keys out and fumbled with the lock for a minute before he got the door open and he stepped inside his living room. He breathed in the light scent of his oil burner before he motioned for Wade to enter. He waited until the other man was inside before she the door and reached for the light switch. Unfortunately, he missed.

Wade reached out to catch Brad, only for both to end up toppling over to the floor, both laughing at their predicament. He laid there on his back, his blue eyes running over Brad's laughing face. He had to admit that he was certainly good looking. Even with his slightly bearded cheeks flushed a deep red from the alcohol. For a moment he could punch himself, knowing that Brad would probably punch him for that train of thought.

Brad rolled to his side, his eyes wondering over Wade's face this time, taking in the wide smile, the sparkling blue eyes that just seemed to glimmer. His breath caught in his throat at how good Wade looked, his dark hair disheveled and messy, his beard well kept but the edges starting to get a light stubble. His lips a perfect shade of pink. Yeah, Wade looked good there outside of the office. And knowing that those tattoos were under the black t-shirt only made him wonder what else Wade had hidden. But it was that smile that got him. He propped up on his arm, his body moving a little closer.

Wade's smile slowly slid away when he saw that Brad's had vanished. He felt the atmosphere around them change, the air suddenly saturated with something other than drunkenness and fun. Once he saw the pink tongue slip from between the reddened lips to moisten them, he knew what was going to happen and he didn't want to stop it.

Brad leaned in, his eyes focused solely on Wade's as he closed what little gap was left and pressed their lips together in a soft, chaste kiss. His eyes slid shut, his other hand coming up to rest on Wade's chest. His stomach flipped when he felt Wade's lips mold to his. He was just starting to enjoy the feel of those lips on his, the way their facial hair brushed against the other before he yanked back, eyes wide and surprised at what he'd done. "Fuck! I'm so fucking sorry!" he yelped, covering his mouth with his hand. He felt stupid for giving into those thoughts. "Fuck. Fuck… Fuck…."

Wade chuckled, propping up and wrapping his hand around the back of Brad's neck, pulling him back in. He didn't push for another kiss, just looked Brad's uncertain and scared eyes over. "It's okay," he breathed, leaning in and kissing Brad gently. He groaned, Brad's hands moving to grasp at his hair, only messing it up more. He smiled into the kiss, his lips parting and tongue running along Brad's lower lip, wanting into that hot mouth.

Brad shivered, thinking about the last time he'd been kissed like that. His mouth opened, his own tongue slipping out to glide along Wade's. Instantly, he groaned, falling back onto the floor, Wade following him. His body was hot when he felt Wade's chest rest against his as he laid flat against the floor. His heart was pounding, his head gone in a hundred thousand different places as their lips moved together. In that moment, he couldn't think and he didn't want to.

* * *

Bo held Cody tight against his side as they stood at Cody's door, the brunette trying hard to get the lock to cooperate with him and his key. He bit back his chuckles at Cody's less than professional mumblings. After a few minutes of fighting the door was opened and he led Cody in, grabbing the keys and shoving them in his pocket as he shut the door behind them. His only intention was to get Cody safely inside before he took his leave. He looked around the dark house, trying to figure out which way the other man's room was, at least get him somewhere soft to sleep.

Cody fought against Bo's gentle lead. "No, just put me on the couch," he groaned, pointing to his pillow and comforter. "I sleep there all the time." He leaned heavily against Bo before he sat down on the couch, humming in happiness at its softness. He only watched as Bo kneeled down and untied his shoes, setting them off to the side before helping Cody to lay down.

"If the room starts spinning, put your foot on the floor. It'll help," Bo explained softly, reaching for the blanket. He smiled, blue eyes watching his every move. "You drank a lot. You must've been celebrating hard." He was only teasing Cody, but he almost regretted it after seeing the dark look of hurt in those eyes.

Cody shrugged, really looking up at the man taking care of him. He'd admit that Bo was good looking, especially with his long, straight brown hair tied back into a low pony tail, a black long sleeved button up dress shirt covering his chest. After everything he'd gone through earlier that night with Roman he knew he needed to let go and move on. And Bo was sweet. He reached up, resting his hand on Bo's bicep as he leaned over. "You can stay here tonight. It's late. You can use the bed in the bedroom if you want. I don't sleep in there," he said gently, wanting some sort of company. He just didn't want to be alone.

Bo was a little surprised at the gentle touch and the invitation. "You sure?" he asked, heart starting to pound. He knew that it was a innocent invitation, just a nice gesture so he didn't have to walk across town to his small apartment. "You sure that's okay?" He swallowed when he saw Cody nod.

Cody smiled, cocking his head to the side as he looked Bo's face over. "You're nervous," he chuckled, smiling a little wider at the blush that splashed across Bo's cheeks. He liked that kind of youthful innocence, even if Bo was only a few years younger than him.

"Well, at little. I mean it's no secret that I like you and you're asking me to stay at your place," he started, thinking just how he sounded, and how it could easily be misconstrued as presumptuous of something happening. "I mean, I don't expect anything to happen or anything. And I really appreciate—"

Cody couldn't help but laugh out loud. He heard Bo's still nervous chuckle before he stopped. "I know you aren't going to try and take advantage of me Bo," he murmured, his other hand moving up to press against Bo's smooth cheek. "You're too nice for that kind of thing." He moved up a little, tugging Bo in closer to him. If he was going to move on, it might as well be with someone he knew would treat him good.

Bo jerked back away from Cody's gentle touch, pulling away completely after he realized just what Cody wanted. "I'm sorry," he apologized quietly, biting his lower lip. It wasn't that he didn't want to kiss Cody, he just didn't want it to happen like this. "As much as I want this, I don't want it to happen when you're like this. I know you're hurting still and I don't want to be a stand in." He moved to sit on the edge of the couch next to Cody, his hands in his lap, his eyes focused on his clasped fingers.

Cody moved to sit up, his back against the arm of the couch. He almost felt stupid for thinking that things would start that easily. In a way, he was happy that Bo pushed him away; it showed a lot about Bo's character. "No, I'm sorry. That was stupid. I shouldn't do something like that," he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, it's okay. I mean I want to and it's really hard to turn you down and all. I just, I want it to be a mutual thing ya know?" he asked, still feeling stupid. He was hating that he'd turned Cody down, the act hard. He just knew that it wasn't right for it to happen like that.

Cody only smiled. "So, why were you at the bar anyway? You work five days at Dame's," he asked, thinking about Bo's earlier statement about having many talents. "How many other jobs do you have anyway?"

Bo chuckled, looking up into the amused blue eyes. His chest filled with warmth, that smile doing things to him. "I just work there on weekends sometimes when I need a little extra cash. Sometimes I'm a little short on bills and it's easy money. I just show up, make drinks, and smile. Most days I make good tips," he explained, looking back down at his hands. "And it really helps me pay back some of the loans I've taken out for school."

Cody nodded, remembering that Bo was still a student. "So, what're you doing for Christmas? Does your family live around here? I mean the stores closed for a couple days around there anyway, but are you gonna take off somewhere?" he asked, thinking that making small talk would ease some of the awkwardness that was still lingering between them.

Bo shook his head, refusing to look up. A pang of pain shot through his heart, thinking about his family. "We aren't really close. They live in Louisiana. I haven't really spoken to them in a couple years now," he said wistfully, taking a deep breath and letting it out shakily. "Should I go?"

Cody shook his head, his eye lids growing heavier and heavier. "Naw," he yawned, covering his mouth. "Go ahead and stay. I'll take you home tomorrow. There's some blankets in the closet in the spare room, first door on the right. And the my bed is free. I don't sleep there anyway. Might as well get some use out of it. Bathroom's across the hall on the left. The last door is my room." He yawned again, sinking down on the couch as Bo stood. He pulled the blanket up over his shoulder, his eyes closing.

Bo smiled, walking into the spare room. He flipped the light on, half way blinding himself for a few moments, before he looked over all the baby furniture and toys. He couldn't help but smile a little wider, thinking that Cody must be one fun uncle. He grabbed the blankets from the closet and a spare pillow before walking out and flipping the light off. He stumbled back into the living room, thinking that he couldn't sleep in Cody's bed. It was too strange of a concept. Instead he just laid his blankets on the floor and made a small pallet beside the couch. He smiled, kicking his shoes off. He pulled Cody's keys from his pocket and laid them on the coffee table.

Dark eyes looked over the sleeping man, that handsome face slack with exhaustion. "Sleep well Cody," he murmured, leaning over and pressing a gentle kiss to Cody's forehead. While he didn't know if Cody would remember anything in the morning, at least he knew that Cody was attracted to him as well, and that he'd done the right thing in pushing Cody back just a little. "He doesn't know what he's missing." He was talking about Roman and how beautiful Cody looked asleep. He took a step back and unbuttoned his shirt, laying it on the floor next to his pallet so that he was standing there in a black tank top. He laid down on the floor and covered up. He shifted just enough to get comfortable before his eyes closed and he fell asleep, the last thing in his line of vision being Cody's sleeping face.

* * *

(A/N): So, this is a longer chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed it! And there's a lot of drama here! Thoughts? I'd love to hear them! As always onwards and upwards! Title is Loaded and Alone by Hinder!

JacktheSinister_JaketheJust


	13. Drunk Last Night

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 12.  
**

**Note: Let's see what's going to happen the morning after! Hope you like it! See everyone Monday! Enjoy! -JJ**

* * *

_**Drunk Last Night**_

Brad's eyes scrunched up, his body aching. He groaned as he curled into the warmth around him a little more. As much as he wanted to stay there in that warmth he hurt, his entire body hurt and he had to piss. He heard the sharp inhale of another person before he shot up, his eyes popping open and landing on the other man laying there next to him.

His heart pounded harder and faster to the point that he couldn't even feel the individual pulses, just a constant pain in his chest. His mouth was dry as he pulled away from Wade's still sleeping form fully and stood from the floor. He winced as he stepped around the bigger male, the light streaming in through the windows almost blinding and doing nothing for the horrible hangover that was starting to dully throb in his head and stomach. He hurried through the doorway that led into his kitchen, his hands shaking as they rested on the counter.

He was trying to remember the night before, most of it fuzzy. He shook his head, cringing in pain and thinking that he shouldn't have done that, his stomach doing an uncomfortable flip. After a moment or two of heavy breathing, the night was coming back to him.

Him and Wade had went out drinking for fun, met up with Cody who'd left with someone that he'd known but he couldn't remember his name. Then him and Wade had talked about tattoos, Wade's tattoos. Brad felt his cheeks flush, the images of those tattoos sliding into his minds eye. He liked those. He really liked those. Then that scar, the one under Wade's arm.

Brad felt his cheeks only heat up further, thinking about what Wade had told him about bare knuckle fighting. How down right _excited _he'd become over that. How everything he'd ever thought about Barrett had being wrong. Once again he shook his head, pain shooting through him as he closed his eyes and let the rest of the night slowly run through his mind.

He'd invited Wade to stay with him, since they were both so far gone and when they'd gotten to his place. He'd reached for the light… and then they were on the floor. He remembered those glimmering eyes, the way they shone like sapphires in the dim light. His heart fluttered at that sight, his stomach flipping over. Then he'd kissed him. Fuck, he'd kissed Wade!

He started to pace, his eyes opening as he tugged at his ruffled hair. And then when he'd jerked back Wade had reassured him that it was okay and they'd done it again. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," he muttered, remembering just how sweet Wade's mouth had tasted even after all the bitter alcohol. The way their bodies had moved against each other seeking out pleasure as their lips refused to unfused.

He was almost panicked, waiting to remember if it had gone past that. He was almost thankful that it slammed into him that Wade was the one to pull back and gently tell him that they should stop. Both of their faces had been red, their mouths kiss swollen from their intense, forceful kissing. It wasn't until after he'd messed Wade's hair up beyond recognition and Wade's body had been on top of his, their skin wanting nothing more than to be closer. He'd been so hard, and thinking back he could still feel the hard length of the Brit pressed against his inner thigh. That was enough, he didn't want to think about it anymore, his brain was in overload.

He felt sick to his stomach. One arm curled around his middle, his other hand running over his face. "Fuck," he groaned, leaning back against the counters, his entire body starting to shake. He didn't understand what was going on with himself. He'd only let things like that happen once before with Roman. Roman had been a special case. He wasn't attracted to men. He wasn't.

Wade laid there on the floor, his hands covering his face to keep from letting the burning light hit them. He'd been laying there for a good while, letting the night before wash over him. He'd be the first to admit that he hadn't expected things to go like they had between him and Brad. He groaned softly, trying to push away the nagging feeling that he'd messed up what little friendship they'd had started.

He'd been holding onto the smaller man for warmth and comfort in the beginning, finding the floor a bit cool. It wasn't until after Brad had fallen asleep after their little make out session that he realized just how right Brad's body felt against his, how perfectly they molded together. He tried to ignore how good it had felt to hold Brad against his side, that wavy mop of hair mused and ruffled on his chest, his nose firmly pressing into it, breathing in the light scent of Brad's shampoo.

He sat up, looking around the small house, taking in the bright white paint and light blue accents. It really was a nice house. He liked the little flowery accents. He shook his head, groaning again. The interior of Brad's house wasn't going to be able to distract him for longer than a minute or two.

He thought about how Brad had jumped up out of his arms when he woke. He heard the increasing breathing, the almost panicked way Brad's body shook as he stood and walking around him. He'd done this to Brad. If he'd just let the other man play it off as one stupid drunk kiss, they wouldn't be like this. He wouldn't be so flustered and angry with himself for giving into a whim and kissing Brad back. But after all that talk about Roman, he'd just been jealous, tired of hearing the other man's name on Brad's lips. He'd already been forced to compete with the man in their office, he wasn't going to do it in their friendship as well.

He moved to stand, his own body stiff and cracking in odd joints as he made it to his feet. He looked around, following the single doorway into the kitchen. His blue eyes fell on Brad as he stood there with an arm around his middle and a hand over his face. He hated the stance, knowing that Brad regretted the night before and was probably disgusted with him. He cleared his throat, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking down at the floor.

Brad's hand dropped to his side as he looked over to where Wade was standing in the doorway. He didn't speak, his throat tight around the words. He wasn't sure what he should say. He knew he should probably apologize again for his stupid move the night before, but he just couldn't get the words out.

"I'm sorry," Wade said lowly after a moment of thick, tense silence. He heard the birds outside starting to sing before he looked up at Brad. "I know we were both pretty gone and all, but I… I never meant for it to go that far." He shifted from one foot to the other, his eyes lowering back to the floor.

Wade could feel his heart starting to pound in his chest. "If you don't want to talk to me again, I understand," he went on, swallowing hard. "And if this is going to affect our working relationship, I can ask to transfer offices or trade with someone else."

Brad was taken aback and shocked at Wade's words. He'd never expected the other man to go that far to keep them apart. It stung to think that he might not see Wade again in the office, that the night before had ruined the friendship they were building. "Look," he murmured, resting his hands back on the counter. "I've only kissed one other guy in my life so this is a little weird for me." He was flustered, confused even on how he felt, how his mind was racing with things he didn't understand. "And he was really special to me. So, I don't know if what happened was me just being drunk or what. Not to mention your girlfriend is probably going to be pretty fucking pissed off about this too."

Wade looked up, that assumption almost confusing him. When did Brad come up with the idea that he had a girlfriend, or that he was even dating. He nodded though, taking into consideration on how Brad was feeling with his own thoughts. "For the record, I'm not dating anyone right now," he said, taking a deep breath, one hand coming up to smooth down his hair. He was quiet as he did his best to get his hair under control. "But I should go. I'm sorry about last night still Maddox. I really didn't mean for it to go as far as it did."

Brad nodded, unable to find the right words to say. He only watched as Wade turned and walked out of his kitchen, his front door opening before being shut gently behind Wade as he left. He groaned out loud, covering his face with his hands again, jaw tight as he thought about Wade's words. He'd been the one to kiss Wade, there was no reason for the other man to apologize. He'd sent the wrong signals, he'd set the green light telling Wade that he was okay with it. Hell, he didn't even try to push Wade away.

Wade looked over his shoulder as he walked down the steps. He wasn't about to admit to himself that he hoped that Brad would come chasing after him, wanting to figure out where they were and why it had happened. He wouldn't be lying if he said he thought Brad was good looking and he was fun to be around. He really was and he'd enjoyed spending time with Brad. He shook his head as he shoved his hands into his pockets, digging for his keys as he made his way down the street.

It honestly didn't matter how he felt or what he was thinking. Kissing Brad had been a stupid idea, a completely mind numbingly stupid idea. While he had enjoyed the sweet mouth and the way Brad's fingers searched his face and tugged at his raven hair as it fisted in the short locks, it had been stupid. He'd been stupid. He shook his head again, wondering why he'd thought it would be a good idea to act on that attraction he felt. Obviously it hadn't.

* * *

Cody groaned as he turned away from the back of the couch, the sunlight pouring in through the windows, burning his eyes through the lids. He winced, his eyes cracking open, his head pounding. What the hell did he do last night? He sat up slowly, looking around the living room. He didn't remember laying down. He didn't remember even coming home.

His head ached as he shuffled the blanket off of his legs. He stopped, confused as to why the coffee table wasn't as close to the couch as he'd remembered it. He looked down, finding Bo's sleeping form on the floor, long hair strewn about on the pillow, a blanket wrapped tightly around his shoulders.

Cody couldn't help but smile, suddenly remembering that he'd been out drinking with Seth after seeing Roman. He'd drank with Brad and his new office mate… Wade… was it Wade? He hoped that was his name. And then when he was pretty lit he'd walked up to the bar and Bo had helped him. His smile softened, his eyes moving over the lump. Bo had brought him home, got him settled. Bo had treated him so kindly.

His cheeks started to redden, thinking about how he'd tried to kiss Bo only to be pushed away. He covered his face with one hand, thinking that Bo had been the perfect gentleman in the situation. He surprisingly wasn't embarrassed. He'd wanted to kiss Bo because he found him attractive, and he was a sweet guy. There wasn't an ulterior motive this time, unlike it had been with Drew.

He pushed the blanket away, sliding off the couch, his eyes barely leaving Bo's sleeping form. Even though he felt like road kill, the least he could do was make them something to eat. He stepped around Bo carefully, walking down the hall to the bathroom. He opened the door and stepped in, flipping the light on.

He looked into the mirror, noticing the start of a very light stubble on his cheeks. He rubbed his hand against the light growth, wondering if he should try growing it out. His mother always said that he had a baby face, and he'd never tried before, his facial growing so slowly. He shrugged, thinking that he'd worry about it another time.

The warm water felt good on his face when he splashed some on his face. He lathered up and quickly shaved, deciding against trying to grow it out. He washed the shaving gel from his face and patted it dry before smiling at himself. His eyes were still dull and his head and body both ached. But he did feel a little better.

He stepped out, finding that Bo hadn't moved. He walked back over, squatting down and brushing a little of the loose hair away from the sweet face. His heart jumped in his chest, those black lashes resting so perfectly on Bo's high cheek bones. He had to admit that Bo really was good looking. He stood back up and walked into the kitchen, moving around slowly, getting coffee started before he pulled out eggs and sausage for breakfast.

Cody couldn't help but actually smile down at the skillet as he laid in the frozen sausage. It had been a long time since he'd made breakfast for someone, hell it had been a long time since he'd made an actual breakfast for himself. While things weren't exactly like he wanted them, he had to admit cooking for someone was a nice feeling.

Bo's nose rumpled as the delicious aroma of sizzling sausage hit it. His eyes slowly opened and he let out a low groan, more than a little sore from sleeping on the floor. He sat up, yawning and stretching, actually taking a look around the living room. He noticed that Cody wasn't on the couch anymore.

Instantly, he wondered if Cody remembered the night before or if he was drunk enough to the point that he couldn't. He pulled himself into a standing position, wincing when he felt little bolts of pain running up his right leg. Great, it was asleep. He shook his head, running his hand through the long locks, wondering where his hair tie had gone. Eventually, he gave up looking for the elastic and ran a hand through his hair, detangling it the best he could.

His nose led him into the dining room, his dark eyes following up to where Cody was humming to himself as he cooked. "Smells good," he said softly, leaning forward on the long counter and watching as Cody turned to face him. "You feel okay?"

Cody nodded, suddenly feeling a little nervous. "Yeah, not the greatest but then again I did drink way more than I should've," he answered, returning to the sausage. He was quiet for a moment, thinking of what he should say. "So… uh… I'm… I'm sorry about last night." He looked over his shoulder, finding that Bo was rubbing his eyes like a little kid. It was cute.

"Bout what?" Bo questioned, yawning and stretching upwards. His arms dropped to his side as he smiled, leaning forward again on his arms.

Cody shook his head, deciding to save that talk for a little later in the morning, at least after he had breakfast finished. "If you want to wash up a little, the bathroom's on the left," he said, turning and pointing towards the hallway. He heard a soft thank you and the soft footsteps of the other man as he walked away. He was only left with his thoughts for what felt like a few moments before Bo was walking back in. "You like sausage and eggs?"

Bo smiled, mouth watering at the wonderful smells that were just tormenting him. "Yes!" he rumbled, his stomach growling. He covered it with his hand, a little embarrassed as it kept on rumbling. "Sorry." He looked down, cursing his body for talking without his permission.

Cody chuckled, finishing up the sausage and scooping it out to drain on a little stack of paper towels. "Don't apologize," he said, draining the grease from the skillet. "Nothing to be sorry for at all." He returned the skillet to the burner and cracked open the first few eggs. "If anyone needs to apologize it's me. I put you in a really awkward position last night."

Bo shook his head, walking into the kitchen and stood right next to Cody. "Don't," he said gently, smiling. "It's kinda selfish but I really wanted it to happen. And it's nice to know that you're interested in me too at least a little bit."

Cody felt his cheeks start to flare as he turned back to the eggs. He smiled, heart pounding as he looked back over to Bo's smiling face. "Stop, you're embarrassing me!" he snapped playfully, chuckling with Bo as the other man walked back to where he'd been standing. "How do you like your eggs?"

"Hard."

"Is that supposed to be a sex joke?" Cody asked, looking over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised. It would be the first time he'd heard a semi naughty joke come from Bo's lips. He smiled, finding Bo looking away towards something else. "Hm?"

Bo shrugged, smiling as his dark eyes met Cody's blue ones. "I don't know. Do you like sexy food innuendos?" he asked, finding that he really liked the sudden blush on Cody's cheeks. "You know, I'm not a great cook but I'm fantastic at making desserts. Strawberry shortcake is my best one, all that whip cream with chocolate drizzle."

Cody bit his lower lip, turning his attention back to the food, knowing that if he let those words infiltrate his minds eye he'd have a lot more trouble than his dull headache and upset stomach from his hangover. "Really?" he asked, throat tight and his voice a little higher than usual. "Maybe you should've been a cook instead of a bartender."

Bo smiled, walking back towards Cody. "But then I wouldn't have had the pleasure of seeing you last night," he whispered, standing right behind Cody. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and rest his hands on the other man's hips, press his chest against the broad back and hold them close together.

Cody turned fully, finding that there was little room between them. He smiled, the silly retort dying in his throat as he looked into the soft brown eyes. "Bo," he murmured, taking a step closer, the large hands of the other man moving to rest on the backs of his arms as they became a little closer. He could see the want in Bo's eyes, and he felt the same urge of wanting to kiss the younger male.

Bo leaned in, questioning Cody with his eyes if it was alright. He saw the gentle smile and moved in fully, ready to kiss Cody now. Luck wasn't on his side. Just before his lips met Cody's the bell rang, making him stop instantly.

Cody jerked back, sighing. "Damn door," he groaned, flipping his eggs.

"I'll answer it for you," Bo said, the moment between them long gone. He heard Cody's gentle thank you as he walked away. He cursed the person on the other side and their horrible timing. He took the handle and opened the door, putting a smile on. "Hello." He stopped, the tan face on the other side slowly growing stormy.

"Cody home?" Roman asked, his voice gravelly and rough as he fought back the growing irritation of seeing the other man's face so early and in Cody's house no less. He saw Bo nod before he was let in. He looked around the room finding the disheveled blankets on the floor and then Cody's blanket on the couch. He didn't dare let his mind make up stories.

"Who was it Bo?" Cody asked, walking around the corner, his smile dropping, spatula in hand as his eyes landed on Roman. "Ro…." He looked down, heart starting to pound. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Is it a bad time?" Roman asked, standing a little taller. He looked over Bo, almost sneering at the shorter male. "Because if I'm interrupting I can just go."

"Don't be like that Ro," Cody gently sighed, shaking his head. "I'm just making breakfast, so you're more than welcome to stay. Where's Maxine?" He turned, heading back to the stove. He flipped the two hard eggs onto a plate and added a couple sausage patties and two pieces of toast he'd made when Bo had left him to answer the door.

Bo and Roman walked into the kitchen, both shooting glances at the other, each look getting darker and darker between them.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to go to the beach today," Roman asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked over Cody's back, realizing that Cody was still wearing the same clothes from the night before. "Dean and Seth are going with me and Max."

Cody felt a pang in his heart, thinking that it was just a group of couples and he'd be that third wheel, well fifth wheel in this case, not to mention the argument him and Seth had had the night before. "It sounds like fun," he finally said, cracking open another egg and watching as the clear sizzled into white. He swallowed, knowing that there would be backlash, but he didn't want to go alone. "You up for a trip to the beach today Bo?"

Roman's grey eyes shot over to Bo, taking in the slightly surprised look. His eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. He still didn't like him, and he probably never would. He gave a warning look for Bo to back off.

"Sounds like fun. I'm not scheduled today at the shop. I'll just have to go home and get my trunks," Bo said, looking over at Roman, smirking. He wasn't going to sit back and let Roman try and intimidate him. He wasn't the one that had walked away from Cody and he wasn't going to give up just because Roman wanted to be the alpha male.

Roman's hands fisted tightly at his sides, his dull nails digging into his palm, leaving little half moons in his skin. He could feel his body growing hot, and he knew it was jealousy. A jealousy he didn't have any right to have. But logic had no place in his mind at that moment. He saw the same determination in Bo's eyes, the attitude that he wouldn't back down just because Roman wanted him to. It was irritating.

Cody finished up his own eggs and scooped them up onto a plate, the room feeling tense. He turned and he could see the intense gaze between Roman and Bo. "Are you hungry Ro? I have plenty. I can make you something," he said, hoping to break the ice a little between the two.

"I see your cooking's improved," Roman said gently, smiling softly at the two plates. He shook his head, his gaze leaving the plates to meet Cody's nervous blue eyes. "But I'm going to go back to the hotel. I told Maxine I wouldn't be gone long. I tried calling and couldn't get through."

Cody nodded, reaching into his pocket for his phone, finding that it was completely dead. "I didn't charge it last night," he murmured, shoving it back into his pocket. It wasn't going to do him any good anyway.

"I see you were having too much fun," Roman bit out, the shocked and hurt face Cody gave him really digging at his heart. He hadn't meant to say that out loud. He hadn't meant to show that he was jealous. He looked down at the floor, finding the air just seemed to further thicken around them, suffocating him. "I'll see you at the pier around one. Dean's picking Seth up." He looked up, finding Cody's focus to be on something other than him. "I… I'll see you later."

Cody nodded, watching as Roman walked away. He heard the door open and shut but it barely registered in his mind. His heart hurt. It just hurt. His hands were trembling as he picked up the two plates and walked them over to the table. He focused on pouring them coffee and getting forks before he was stopped at the counter, a spoon shaking his hand as he tried to scoop some sugar into his coffee.

"I'm sorry," Bo whispered, wrapping his arms around Cody and hugging him. He meant it, deeply and truly. While he wasn't a fan of Roman, he didn't agree with how he'd jumped to a less than innocent conclusion and him and Cody the night before.

"Don't be," Cody answered gently, his arms wrapping around Bo's middle as he relaxed into the comforting hold. He stood there allowing Bo to hold him while he tried to regain his composure.

* * *

Dean looked over at the passenger side of his truck as Seth climbed in, a broad smile on the lips he loved so much. He leaned in, his hand reaching out and grabbing the back of Seth's neck, pulling him in for a sweet, chaste kiss to the mouth. He pulled back, smiling. He always liked when he surprised Seth like that, slight blush and huffing breath just a bonus. "Have a good night with Cody?" he asked, pulling back and putting the truck in drive.

"We fought," Seth admitted, sighing as he leaned back against the bench seat, looking out the rolled down window. "Over him and Roman." He looked over at Dean's thoughtful face, finding that the truck hadn't moved. "I know, _we've been over this leave it alone_." He groaned, crossing his arms over his chest. "But he didn't even tell Roman he remembers. It's all Roman's been waiting on since the accident."

Dean sighed, reaching over and taking Seth's hand in his. "You can't force him into telling Roman all this babe," he started gently, giving Seth's hand a light squeeze, mostly for comfort. "In a way, I don't blame him. Rome's just leaving in a couple weeks."

"Even so!" Seth protested, getting a little frustrated. "If he doesn't do it for Rome, he needs to do it for himself, ya know. Get it out so he doesn't think about it all the time, he won't live in the 'what if's'." He just blew out a soft breath, leaning back into the seat, pulling a little comfort from Dean's hand.

Dean pulled into traffic, taking a moment to find the right words. For once he wasn't going to just spew what he thought at Seth, knowing that it wasn't going to change Seth's mind. "Babe, I'm not disagreeing with you, but how bad would it hurt you if you were in Cody's shoes? He's feeling like Rome did before he found out about them. We can't get involved in this, look at what we caused last time," he said softly, giving a quick look over at his lover. "They have to be honest with each other."

Seth nodded, thinking about what Cody had said the night before about telling Dean about Phil and how he needed to be honest in his own relationship. "So, I talked to Phil the other day," he started, feeling the truck jerk to a sudden stop. He saw the fire in the darkening blue eyes, Dean's head whipping towards him.

"What did that fuck say to you?" he asked, tightening his hand around Seth's. "He didn't do anything did he? Because I'll fucking kill him without a second thought." He was serious, his heart racing in his chest, his sight going red. If that fucker laid so much as a finger on Seth he'd break every single fucking bone in his body without a drop of remorse.

Seth was shocked at the hostile attitude. "N-nothing," he stumbled, trying hard to smile and reassure Dean that it was nothing. "J-just saw him while I was out. He moved and he's got a girlfriend now, that's all."

Dean snorted, turning his attention back to the road, thankful that they'd been on a residential street with his sudden stop. "Fucker can jump off a bridge and I wouldn't care," he muttered, jaw tightening.

Seth felt his heart sink. How was he supposed to tell Dean that he was helping plan out and set up a nursery if he couldn't get past the idea of them even talking to each other in public? "I didn't mean to put you in a bad mood. I just figured I'd tell you," he whispered, turning his attention back to the window. He pulled his hand away from Dean's and pulled out his phone, wondering if he should back out.

Dean shook his head, feeling bad for acting the way he was. "I just don't like him around you. He hurt you, and I can't handle that. I'm not in a bad mood over it. I just want you safe. I don't trust him," he explained, finding a soft smile on Seth's lips. "Call it protective or whatever but I won't let anything fucking happen to you Seth. I love you too much."

Seth's chocolate eyes moved up to meet Dean's blues. "I love you too Dean," he answered, slipping his hand back into Dean's. "You think it'll be weird at the beach today with all of us?"

Dean shrugged. "It's going to be interesting with Cody and Roman," he mused, taking a left. "And then Maxine and that Bo kid." He saw surprised eyes on him. "Yeah, remember that Bo guy that Cody was talking about worked with him? He stayed over at Cody's last night and when Rome asked Cody to the beach he asked Bo."

"How do you know all this?" Seth asked, unsure if he really wanted to go anymore or not. He did not want to deal with the impending awkwardness.

"Rome called me this morning going off. Jay and Ariane are going to be there too. I called them to help handle the damage control. Because we're going to need it," Dean said, a little surprised to hear Seth's sudden laugh. "We could just go home and make use of my day off naked."

Seth hummed, liking that idea. "Whose place?" he asked without thinking.

"Ours."

Seth felt a stone settle in his chest where his heart would've been. He looked down at his feet before his eyes turned back to the window. "Dean…" he breathed, pulling his hand free from Dean's again. "I told you I'd think about it."

Dean felt the words slice into him. "I know, but you haven't said a word about it since I asked you. The nice part is it's closer to the beach than your apartment and we can go anytime. And you studio isn't far from me either," he listed, hoping some of the perks would help sway Seth's mind. "I want us to take that next step."

"I just need some time Dean," Seth finally said, turning his attention to his phone. He saw that he had an unread message. He knew his answer had hurt Dean more than the other man was going to admit to, but he still had a lot he had to figure out in his own mind before he gave in. He opened the message and read it, realizing that it was from Phil.

_I'm going with owls. They're purple, pink, orange, and blue. Wat color paint?_

Seth gave a half smile as he typed out. _Blue or purple._

_Royal purple, lilac, lavender, iris? Baby blue, periwinkle (WTF?) teal, midnight? Why isn't it just blue or purple?_

Seth had to actually hold back his laughter. While Phil was a tattoo artist, he was still a normal man that had no idea about shades of a color outside the main color wheel. _Get a light color in case you want to change it. It's hard to paint over dark colors. Go with a light purple._

_Thanks!_

Dean shot Seth's phone a dark look, hating how it had Seth's attention when he wanted to talk to him about something serious. "Who's so important?" he asked, trying hold back the accusatory tone.

Seth looked up, his smile slowly starting to fade. "Just one of the girls at work. She's working on a baby shower gift," he lied, wondering why it was so easy but felt so bad at the same time. "We're talking about paint."

* * *

(A/N): Well, we've reached the end of another chapter loves! Hope you liked it! I know that everyone's got some serious work to do on their personal lives here. Seriously! But Hey, we'll see Jay and Ari again next chapter. Hope you like it and I'd love to hear your thoughts! As always, onwards and upwards! Title is Drunk Last Night by Eli Young.

JacktheSinister_JaketheJust


	14. Until It Breaks

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 13.**

**Note: Sorry it's a little late this time around! I've been kind of in a rut lately trying to get things right. I hope it's good! But hopefully the length will make up for the wait a bit. Haha. See Everyone Monday! Enjoy! -JJ**

* * *

_**Until It Breaks**_

Maxine smiled as the warm ocean breeze caressed her face. She inhaled the moisture-laden air, wishing that she could stay in Florida forever. It was beautiful there. She really didn't want to go back to Iowa. She turned to where Roman was standing just a little ways behind her, his eyes focused on the ocean, his face hard turned and eyes narrowed. She knew it had to do with his drive that morning to Cody's. She looked down at her flip flops her dark blue painted toes looking back at her, thinking that they needed to have a conversation when they got back to the hotel.

Roman felt a soft hand on his arm and he turned to his girlfriend, smiling as he wrapped an arm around her, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head. "Hey babe," he greeted, turning his attention to her. "Sorry, spaced out a little there."

"It's fine. The water's so beautiful here. You're going to have to drag me back to Iowa kicking and screaming. I don't want to leave," she giggled, resting into Roman's bigger body. She could still feel the tension in his body as they stood there for a moment in silence. "You ever think about moving back?"

Roman was silent, his eyes falling from the ocean to his own feet. "Not really," he answered, holding her a little tighter. "I've been here pretty much my whole life. Iowa isn't so bad. Cold, but not bad."

Maxine chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But we don't have beaches like this. I would kill to be within driving distance of something like this," she went on, hearing Roman's name being called behind them. She turned with Roman, watching as Dean and Seth walked up to them.

"Hey guys," Roman greeted, finding Seth's eyes still wouldn't meet him. He had to put their issues to bed. He wanted his best friend back and soon. "You mind sitting with Dean for a minute. I gotta talk to Seth."

Maxine nodded, smiling softly. She knew that Roman had a lot that he wanted to fix between him and his friends before he went home, and Seth was one of the biggest ones. "Go," she nudged, walking over to Dean and standing next to him, watching as Seth walked away with Roman, almost begrudgingly. "He really misses Seth."

Dean nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. He knew Seth felt the same way. He looked over the woman, her face showing a deep concern for Roman. As much as he hated it, it was easy to see that she cared for Roman.

He gave her a good once over, thinking that she was pretty, her long hair pulled back into a long braid showing her graceful neck. Her body was covered by a white, strapless, knee length sun dress, decorated with big sunflowers. She had long legs, perfectly tanned like the rest of her. He smirked, shaking his head. Roman hadn't been interested in girls for a long time but at least his tastes hadn't died.

"I know he doesn't like me," Maxine started, looking over at Dean, his darkened face once again focused on Seth and Roman as they walked away. She looked over his black shirt, the sleeves ripped off and black and blue board shorts, almost surprised at how good Dean looked. She hadn't had much contact with Roman's friends after the party. "Because of Cody and Roman."

Dean nodded, his blue eyes meeting her dark ones. "It's not you personally," he amended, his voice a deep, low rumble. "Rome could've brought back Danny Worsnop and he'd be like this."

Maxine gave a confused look. "Who?" she questioned, watching as the corners of Dean's lips turned up into a half smile, showing the beginning of his dimples. She liked that sight, he wasn't nearly as intimidating with some sort of smile.

"The lead singer of Asking Alexandria; Seth's favorite band," Dean chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't take him too seriously. It's how he is." He motioned for Maxine to follow him, get their minds off the other two as they spoke. "Seth and Rome have been friends since kindergarten. Seth's really protective of him now."

"Sounds like something serious went down when they were kids," Maxine pointed out, walking beside Dean, watching as the other man shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Seth used to be really scrawny as a kid. Roman used to take up for him all the time when kids would pick on him. They were inseparable until junior high, when you start moving around for classes," Dean explained, his smile turning down into a frown.

Maxine nodded, looking behind her to where Roman and Seth were still talking. "Is that when you met them?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Yeah, there was this kid that had something serious for Seth and he cornered Seth in the boys locker room after gym. I was in the same class and hated the next class so I'd just hang out in the locker room until everyone was gone before I ditched. Who the fuck looks for a kid in a locker room? Well he had Seth slammed up against a set of lockers. Seth was screaming for help and I couldn't sit back and watch so I beat the shit out of him. I watched enough of that shit at home."

Maxine stood there, slightly shocked at Dean's words. "So you three must be really close then?" she murmured, turning her attention back to Dean. "I hope I'm not over stepping here, but weren't you ever afraid that Seth would end up with Roman?"

Dean actually laughed at that. "Once they get right, you'll understand when I say no. The only thing you should know is that Seth is openly affectionate with Rome. He has no issues with hugging him or jumping on him randomly."

Maxine nodded, hoping she would see that side of Roman and Seth before she left. She really wanted to make nice with everyone and enjoy the holidays. She didn't just want to be the "other" woman.

* * *

Seth followed along side Roman, his arms crossing over his chest as he watching his flip flops as they walked. "I don't want to talk to you," he muttered, hearing a soft sigh next to him. "Really, I don't."

"Then I'll talk," Roman said, ignoring Seth's less than friendly attitude. "You aren't seriously going to ignore me the entire time I'm here are you?" He saw Seth's shrug but didn't receive and answer. "Because of Maxine. Is that why you're acting like this?"

Seth stopped, his dark eyes narrowing as he looked up into Roman's grey ones. "I don't give a rats ass about her," he snapped, his hands moving to rest on his hips. "She's just a cover up, you and I both know it. I'm pissed off because you're acting like we're nothing here Rome. You left me and Dean and Cody like we weren't shit and the most I get out of you is a fucking email? Not to mention that Cody didn't even fucking get that! Do you even care?" Seth was heated.

Roman sighed, shaking his head as he sucked in a breath of air. "Is that why you're pissed off still? Because of Cody?" he asked, knowing that it wasn't just the emails that had Seth angry with him.

"He's a good chunk of the reason," Seth admitted, jaw tightening. "You don't fucking realize what's gone on here since you left. And then doing _that_ to him when you left. And you come back expecting everything to be okay?! Where's my best friend? Because I don't know who the fuck you are anymore."

Roman was taken back by that comment. "Seth I haven't changed," he started, finding Seth's hateful gaze focused right on him. "I know I messed up with how I left. I never meant to hurt him like that but he's moving on too. He's already got someone else."

"Let me guess, Bo?" Seth asked, his voice condescending and sarcastic. "Dean told me about it this morning. From what I know, Bo took him home last night from the bar because he was that fucking plastered after talking to you." He saw the hurt pass through Roman's eyes. "Yeah, do you even remember what yesterday was?"

Roman looked down at the ground, telling his heart to stop beating so hard. "I knew what it was," he answered softly. "That's why I wanted to see him. But he even said that he was thinking about dating that guy."

"What did you expect him to say Rome?" Seth asked, his anger starting to wane, his tone dropping from hostile to a near exasperated whine. "You brought _her _home. She's fucking gorgeous, even to a gay guy. You've made it clear that you're already serious about her, bringing her down here and all. What else could he say? Did you even stop to think about how he might be feeling?"

Roman closed his eyes, his body freezing.

"I didn't think so," Seth huffed, looking down at his feet before he exhaled loudly. "He loves you Roman. He's always loved you. And I won't sit here and listen to you lie to me and say that you don't love him too. I know you."

Roman nodded, taking a breath and letting it out slowly. "Seth," he started gently, looking up into the chocolate eyes, "that's all in the past now." He ignored Seth's hardening look. "I live in Iowa, he lives here. It wouldn't work out anyway."

"Because you won't try!"

"Because I'm tired of getting hurt!" Roman snapped, growing irritated with being the one under scrutiny. "I left because of everything, or did you forget that? What Cody and I had will always be special to me, but that's over. And I'll be damned if I let you guilt me into feeling like shit over moving on with my life! Did you ever stop to think about how _I _might be feeling?"

Seth stood there, thinking the words over, wanting so much to tell Roman that Cody wasn't the same as he had been, that he'd regained his memory and wanted to fix everything he'd messed up. His jaw tightened before he shook his head. "I just hate how things are Rome," he finally whispered, his arms folding over his chest again.

Roman smiled softly, wrapping an arm around Seth's shoulders and pulling him into a hug. "Don't say that," he murmured, smiling wider when he felt Seth's arms wrap around his middle. "It'll just take some adjusting. I want you to like Max. She's really a good person."

Seth nodded, pulling back from Roman slightly, looking up into the smiling face. His own lips tugged up into a soft smile. "No guarantees Rome," he muttered, resting his face against Roman's tattooed shoulder. "I did miss you though. Fuck, I missed having you here."

"I missed you too Seth. It's hard not having your crazy ass around," Roman admitted, wrapping his tattooed arm around Seth's shoulders as he led him back to where Dean and Maxine were. "We better get back before Dean tries hitting on her."

"Only if he wants me to rip his personals off," Seth growled, eyes narrowed.

"Too soon?"

"Definitely." Seth did smile, enjoying Roman's joke. While he was still irritated at Roman and Cody's situation he had to accept it at that moment in time. He wasn't enthused with Roman's choice but at least he had his best friend back. "So, are you going to be okay with Cody being here with Bo?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Roman asked, looking down at Seth, almost confused at the sudden question. "It's just a day at the beach."

Seth shook his head, rolling his eyes, feeling that same frustration bubble up in him. "You invited the only single person to the beach with a group of couples, you don't see the problem?" he asked in disbelief, leaning into Roman. "Not to mention all of us, well except Maxine, knows that Bo likes Cody. You're gonna be okay with them being together, half naked, probably touching."

Roman felt his body stiffen, his blood starting to heat up at those words. He didn't want to think about it that way, not after the stupid conclusions he'd jumped to earlier in the day already about them. He'd already had the images of Cody's naked body under those hands in his mind once. He didn't want to remember it. "I'll be just fine," he bit out, refusing to look down at Seth.

"So, if they get together today, you'll really be fine with that?" Seth went on, hoping to goad Roman into telling him how he truly felt. He waited expectantly, biting back the smile at the tightening in Roman's face.

Roman just nodded, unable to speak.

Seth smirked, knowing that Roman wouldn't be. He just allowed Roman to think that he'd be okay. He'd wait for the impending explosion that would take place. He only hated that Maxine and Bo would end up being collateral damage, but deep inside his heart he didn't feel an ounce of regret. Roman and Cody belonged together.

Dean smiled as he pointed at Roman and Seth as they walked up, watching as Maxine's eyes softened on the two. "Looks like they're back to normal. Let the hugs and hair braiding begin," he teased, talking loud enough for Seth to hear him.

"You're just mad that you can't braid," Roman shot back, running a hand through Seth's pulled back ponytail. "Worried I'm gonna steal your man?" He smirked, Dean flipping him off. "Now that's the Dean I remember."

Maxine giggled, walking over into her boyfriend's arms as Seth returned to Dean's side, the two clasping hands. "So, we're waiting for Cody?" she asked gently, leaning into Roman as his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

Roman's body tightened. "Yeah, and Bo," he nearly spat, the name tasting bitter in his mouth. He saw the confusion in Maxine's dark eyes when he looked down at her. "It's his friend, thing."

"Oh, like an interest?" she questioned, the dark look in Roman's eyes tugging at her heart. She saw Roman's stiff nod. "That's good for him. He needs to be happy too."

Seth snuck a look up to Dean, his mouth a tight thin line. He didn't care if this girl rescued puppies and kittens or volunteered to play with sick kids at a children's hospital, he wasn't going to give into her seemingly sweet personality. He'd find a flaw somewhere in her. He had to.

Dean's blue eyes narrowed, warning Seth to stay out of it and leave it alone without words. "Yeah, Jay and Ari are coming down too. Figured you could use some kind of female companionship," he said, nodding to Maxine.

Seth snorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I see the fun's already starting without us."

Roman's eyes instantly shot up to where Cody was walking up to them, a baggy sleeveless shirt hanging from his shoulders, the sleeves ripped off and half of the sides taken out. It matched his red and black knee length trunks. He swallowed hard, Cody's smile stealing his breath away. After everything he'd said that morning he was afraid that Cody wouldn't show up.

Grey eyes found the other man trailing behind Cody almost sheepishly. They narrowed on him, the long hair pulled back into a ponytail while a black and white t-shirt covered him, a pair of black trunks on him with blue and gold palm trees. He wasn't impressed.

Cody swallowed hard, thinking that Roman looked good standing there in his beach clothes. "Sorry we're running a little late. I got lost trying to figure out how to get here from Bo's. Speaking of. Bo this is Seth. You've already met Roman and Dean." His voice started to tremble as he turned to Maxine. "And this is Roman's girlfriend, Maxine."

"I saw you at the bookstore once," Bo said, reaching out and taking her hand gently in his, giving it a good shake. "Nice to meet everyone." He smiled, feeling a little under scrutiny at the watchful gazes of Cody's friends. It was tense, knowing already that Roman didn't like him and didn't want him there.

Maxine took a step forward, reaching out and taking one of Cody's hands in both of hers. "Can I talk to you?" she asked softly, watching as Cody's blue eyes widened. "It'll only be a couple minutes, the boys can play nice, don't you think?"

Cody nodded, turning to Bo with a smile. "I'll be right back," he said, following behind Maxine, his hand still held in hers. He looked over his shoulder, watching as Bo seemed to stand there awkwardly with Roman, Seth, and Dean. He hoped they would be nice to Bo. He followed her until she stopped and turned towards him. "So, um. What's going on?"

Maxine looked down at the ground, releasing Cody's hand. "I just really wanted to talk to you about a couple things," she said gently, clasping her hands in front of her dress. She smiled as she looked up. "We didn't really start off on the right foot and I wanted to apologize for that."

Cody shook his head, suddenly feeling a little nervous. He turned his attention to where Roman was, his heart starting to race at the uncomfortable look on Bo's face. He felt bad for just leaving him. "Nothing to apologize for. I'm not holding it against you or anything," he started, his eyes returning to Maxine's.

She nodded, her thumbs fidgeting together. "Ya see, the thing is, I want us to be able to be friends. Everything with Roman aside. He's told me a lot about you and you sound like a really great person to be around and I'd love if we could really get to know each other."

Cody smiled, thinking that Roman had to find one of the nicest girls to bring back. He couldn't even be jealous without feeling bad and she seemed genuine in her wants, without a hidden motive. "I'd like that," he murmured, looking down at his feet. He felt like he should at least tell her that he still loved her boyfriend, get the awkwardness out of the way before it could get involved.

Maxine smiled a little wider, her fidgeting stopping. "Then let's have some fun!" she almost cheered, turning her focus back to where the other three were standing. "So, this Bo, he's special?" She saw the slight blush on Cody's cheeks, that little gesture telling her all she needed to know. "He's cute."

Cody nodded, chuckling. "In more ways that one," he admitted, walking back towards the others, finding that once Bo's dark eyes met his they seemed to be so much more relaxed. He was almost afraid what the others had said. Once back with them, he smiled at Bo, the younger male returning it. "Did they play nice?"

Bo nodded, thinking that the few words that had been spoken weren't worth repeating. He was just glad that Cody was back and he wasn't left alone under the three scrutinizing gazes. He stiffened when Cody's hand slipped into his, but smiled, completely ignoring the dark gaze from Roman.

"So, Ari's probably taking all the time she can getting ready, let's have some real fun," Roman suggested, wrapping his arm around Maxine's shoulders, pressing a kiss to the side of her head as he led them away from the pier down towards the beach. He looked over his shoulder at the other two couples, finding that Seth and Cody wouldn't even look at the other. He knew there was something wrong between them too.

Maxine gasped, giggling at the gentle waves as they came up, lapping at the beach. "C'mon let's swim for a little while," she suggested, pointing to a spot on the beach where they could shed their extra clothes and gadgets and really enjoy the time.

Seth agreed, pulling his shirt of instantly, breathing in the warm air. "Last one in's buying lunch!" he yelled, watching as Dean jerked his own shirt off and ran after him, meeting him when the water was about waist deep. "I love you."

Dean smirked, his heart still slightly aching from their conversation in the truck. "I love you too Seth," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the tip of his boyfriends nose, tripping him under the water. He let out a loud laugh, turning towards the beach to see that the others were still stripping. He could see the tension between Roman and Cody even though they weren't facing the other.

Maxine was the next one to slide her sun dress down and off, exposing her dark blue string bikini. She smiled, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her skin. She looked over at her boyfriend, smiling when she caught his eyes on her. She knew she had a nice body, tight and well taken care of, toned arms and shapely legs with a flat stomach. "Like that?" she teased, turning fully in a circle.

Cody turned, his heart pounding. Of course she had a nice body. He felt his stomach flip, a sudden surge of jealousy taking him over. He grabbed the hem of his shirt, pausing when he saw Roman reach for his, pulling it up and over his head swiftly. He couldn't breathe, with how long it had been since he'd seen the other man's skin.

Roman stood a little taller, turning his attention to Bo, lightly flexing his muscles. He smirked, his eyes falling down to where Cody's blue ones were on him. His smirk faded into a soft smile, watching as a red tint touched Cody's cheeks. He reached back and took his bun out, shaking the long mane free, letting the gentle waves cascade down his shoulders and back.

Bo looked over Roman's body, swallowing hard. He couldn't deny that the other man was handsome, his body was perfectly toned with a shallow indentation of a six pack, and deep hip dents. The only hair on his entire torso was the little trail of that from his bellybutton down to under his shorts. Suddenly, he felt very self-conscious. He didn't look anywhere near that good with his shirt off. He didn't blame Cody for sneaking peaks.

Roman sent Bo a challenging look, almost feeling bad for showing the smaller male up, almost. He turned back to Maxine, smiling with her. "You guys coming?" he asked, wrapping an arm around Maxine's waist, both of their eyes on Cody and Bo.

Cody nodded, the heat leaving his cheeks as he pulled his t-shirt up and over his head, showing just how much his body had changed over the last six months. His stomach was tighter, leaner. His waist was a bit smaller. He looked very good. He tossed his shirt down, ignoring Roman's wide eyes as he tugged at Bo's shirt. "Don't be shy," he teased, chuckling. "You go ahead, we'll catch up."

Maxine nodded, pulling Roman with her.

Roman's eyes only left Cody's sculpted body for a moment before they were once again plastered to his smooth skin. His heart was racing, his fingers itching to touch that same skin over again.

"I don't think I want to take my shirt off," Bo murmured, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked down at the sand, following Cody's lead and kicking his shoes off to sit with everyone elses. "I don't look as good as you guys."

Cody smiled, "Hey, no one's here to pick at your body. We're here to have fun. It doesn't matter what you look like," he explained, finding the boyish smile on Bo's lips made his heart jump in his chest. "Don't worry about how you look."

Bo nodded, unfolding his arms. He gasped, Cody's hands yanking his shirt up before he could give a second thought. He felt his cheeks heat up as Cody's blue eyes ran over his chest. He wasn't very muscular; he was pretty average with a little jiggle to his mostly flat belly. He looked down at the sand, swallowing hard. "I don't look as good as you."

Cody was surprised at Bo's comment. He looked at his body before smiling and looking Bo over. "You look great," he encouraged, poking at Bo's belly. "I like a little jiggle." He started to laugh at the pink in Bo's face.

"You guys coming or what?" Seth called, pushing his wet hair away from his face, his eyes moving from Bo and Cody to where Roman was standing with Maxine, the grey eyes focused clearly on Cody and Bo. "Don't start making kissy faces now, save it for later!"

Dean gave Seth a none to gentle push, throwing a dark look at him. "Don't," he growled so only Seth could hear. "Don't go starting that kind of shit now." He saw Seth's devious smile. "I'm not fucking kidding Seth. Don't."

Seth shrugged, walking away from Dean and towards Roman, jumping up and attacking, pulling the other man down into the water with him. When he surfaced he was laughing, holding Roman around the neck still, the other man holding his smaller body up. "Don't look so angry, you said you'd be okay," he murmured into Roman's ear. He felt Roman's body stiffen before he was lifted up and thrown into the waist deep water.

Cody watched the commotion from the beach, laughing at Seth. He took Bo's hand and led him into the still warm waters, sighing in contentment when he reached the others. "You're trying to drown Seth, finally after all these years," he teased, Seth's eyes resting right on him. He smiled at the other man, hoping that Seth would just forget their argument from the night before.

Seth returned the smile, knowing that he had to let things go for that moment. It wasn't his place to tell Roman, not to mention he didn't want the backlash of Cody telling Dean about Phil in retaliation.

An hour passed with everyone laughing before Jay and Ari arrived, both waving for them to come back to shore.

Roman walked out of the ocean with a smile, walking up to Jay and hugging him. "Glad you could finally make it," he laughed, earning a dark look from the caramel skinned woman. "You too Ari, you know I miss you too."

"You better," she chuckled, hugging Roman next. "Sorry we're so late. Someone here had to argue with me about my suit."

"You were not wearing the floss one out in public babe, we've talked about this, that's only for us," Jay retorted playfully, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. "So, how's it going?"

"Good," Roman answered, looking to see that Maxine had walked up beside him, wrapping her arm around his. "Just hanging out with everyone."

Ari looked around Roman, watching closely as Bo and Cody made it ashore, their hands clasped together. "So, who's that with Cody?" she asked, pointing a perfectly manicured nail at the newest male. "I don't remember him."

"That's Cody's friend," Roman said, his voice dropping low. He pulled Maxine closer to him, looking back to see that Cody still had a smile on his lips as they walked up. He refused to let it bother him.

"Ari!" Cody yelped, running over and wrapping his arms around her. "Hey girl, you're looking great!" He looked over her well defined body, the bright yellow bikini a nice color on her skin. He tugged Bo closer, introducing him to Ariane and Jay.

"So this is your new boo then," Ariane asked, casting a glance over at Roman. She saw the darkening look on the Samoan's face and for a moment she was sure that he was going to say something.

"Nothing like that," Cody murmured, looking over at Bo's slowly pinkening face. "Not yet anyway." He smiled at the darker blush that started. He missed the stormy, almost hurt look on Roman's face. "Anyway, you guys up for something a little more fun. I have a volleyball in the car. I know Ari's pretty competitive."

The group agreed, everyone gathering their stripped clothes and shoes before walking just down the beach for an empty sand volleyball pit. Cody slipped away from the group to get the volleyball and some towels before returning to where everyone was deciding on teams.

"Well we can't have the girls on one team, that's a little unfair," Seth started, wrapping an arm around Ari. "But you know, you're kinda pretty, you can join me and Cody."

Ariane feigned hurt. "Boy please, this piece of ass would turn you straight," she teased, slapping one hand against a rounded ass cheek. She couldn't help but smile when Seth rolled his eyes and rested his hands on his hips. "Don't sass me."

Maxine covered her mouth with one hand, unable to hold back her laughter. "How about couples versus couples. Roman and I will be on a side and Ariane and Jay can be on the other side. Then Dean and Seth can be on one side and Cody and Bo on the other."

Ariane agreed, deciding that Cody and Bo would team with her and Jay. She picked the ball up, giving it a good squeeze as everyone got set up on the court, Dean and Bo pulling their shirts back on. Once everyone was set up she served the ball over the net, watching as Seth set up a perfect bump for Maxine to spike back over.

Cody saved it, bumping it up towards Bo, who made an awkward set for Jay to spike back over.

The ball volleyed over a couple more sides before it finally scored on Roman's side, a wonderful point won by Jay's perfect spike just in front of Dean.

The game continued on, Roman's eyes always seeming to follow after Cody and Bo, his body growing hotter, his temper only simmering to a boil after each victory hug after a scored point. His playfulness had left him completely once Seth set him up for a spike. His eyes narrowed on Bo, hoping he could smash the other man in the face with the white ball.

Cody didn't miss the hard hit and dove for it, yelping out when his foot slid in the wrong direction when he tried to pivot in the sand. Without the support from his left ankle he crashed into the sand, the ball that was meant for Bo slamming into the middle of his back, leaving a bright red mark against his skin. "Fuck," he groaned, rolling over, tears in his eyes, his ankle was on fire.

Roman's eyes widened when he saw that Cody wasn't standing up right away. He hurried over to the other side, heart starting to pound as he squatting down and looking down at Cody's already swelling ankle. "What happened?" he asked gently, touching the swollen skin, feeling for any kind of dislocation.

"Just twisted it," Cody murmured, looking up to find Roman's eyes worriedly running over him. "I'm okay Ro." He reached up and touched Roman's shoulder, offering a soft smile. "Just moved wrong in the sand."

Maxine stood there, her eyes downcast on the sand when she saw the concern in her boyfriend's eyes. It hurt to see how attentive he was being to Cody after just a little fall. She didn't dare move, the others still standing still.

"You think you can stand?" Roman asked, helping Cody to his feet. He wrapped an arm around Cody's middle, keeping as much weight off of the hurt ankle as he could as he led Cody over to a near by bench.

Seth shot Dean a look, smirking when his boyfriend shook his head. He knew everyone there could see what was still between Roman and Cody. Everyone could still see the love that neither one of them wanted to admit to.

Bo was the first to move, hurrying over to Cody's side, smiling as he brushed a little sand from the handsome face. "You were amazing out there. That dive was great," he said, taking a seat next to Cody, looking down at the bruised ankle. "I guess that's a sign that we should take a break and get something to eat."

"That's a great idea!" Seth said as he walked up, wrapping an arm around Roman's shoulders. "I'm starving. And Jay's a nurse, he can give Cody a good once over to make sure that nothing's broken."

Roman nodded, watching as Bo dusted a little more sand off of Cody. He heard Bo talking about going to get them some lunch while Jay checked him out. He turned to Maxine with a smile. "You hungry babe?" he asked, smiling at her as she walked up to him. "I'll get whatever you want."

Maxine nodded, asking for something light. She'd been hungry during their match but had suddenly lost most of her appetite seeing Roman's interaction with Cody. "Can you get one of those Naked Juices too?"

"Anything for you babe," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead, scowling when he saw Bo take and press a small kiss to the back of Cody's hand. He followed behind Bo as he walked up towards the food vendors on the boardwalk. He caught up with Bo, walking instep with him.

Bo looked over, eyes widening for a moment before he looked back down at his feet. "I know you don't like me," he started, looking back up at Roman.

"How could you guess?" Roman asked, rhetorically, rolling his eyes. "Guys like you are annoying as hell, always clinging. Back off some. Cody doesn't like being smothered." He was offering a friendly warning.

"If I was smothering him, I'm sure he'd tell me," Bo retorted, stopping on the wooden pier, knowing that the other's couldn't see or hear them. "Really, you should mind your own business. What Cody and I do has nothing to do with you, no matter how jealous you are."

Roman's eyes narrowed, his entire body starting to shake. He'd give almost anything to punch the other man in the mouth at that moment. "You don't deserve someone like him," he snarled, fists tightening at his sides. "He's too special."

"Is he?" Bo questioned, refusing to look away. "Because you're the one that walked away from him. You're the one that up and left him here and then have the fucking gall to bring back someone else." He felt the heated glare of the other man on him. "He told me what happened with you two. If he's so fucking special to you, why would you treat him like he's nothing?"

"You don't know a damn thing!" Roman spat out, holding back from grabbing Bo's shirt and laying into him.

"I know that he waited for you. I know that he wore his engagement ring every fucking day to work, talked about you like you were heaven sent only to have you come back and rip his heart out all over again," Bo retorted, narrowing his dark eyes on widened grey ones. "And I know that I'll do everything I can to make him happy."

Roman took a step closer, his nostrils flaring in anger. "You'll never make him happy like I did," he growled, his fists curling and uncurling at his sides.

"I might not, but I do know that I'm not the one playing with his emotions. Or shoving my perfect girl friend in his face every chance I have. I'm not the one jerking him around, he knows how I feel."

That was it, Roman couldn't handle anymore out of Bo's mouth. He reared his fist back, his other hand reaching out and twisting in the front of Bo's shirt.

"Roman!" Cody snapped, hobbling over, making Seth wobble with each step closer, Dean following closely behind. "Knock it off!" Once he was next to them his narrowed eyes met the surprised grey ones. He hadn't heard the argument but all he'd had to see was Roman grabbing Bo. "C'mon, we'll get something on the way back." He turned his attentions to Bo, wrapping his arm around Bo's neck, allowing the other man to lead him back towards the car. "Jay says it's just a sprain, ice and rest. Nothing serious."

Roman let out a heavy sigh, his entire body humming with anger still. He saw the dark look in Dean and Seth's eyes, knowing that they weren't impressed with his recent attitude either. "Don't even fucking ask," he growled, walking up to the first vendor and getting the naked juice he'd promised Maxine.

They returned to the group, finding Jay packing up things quickly. "Sorry guys, I have to get up to the hospital. They need extra hands, and we're under staffed," he explained, giving Ariane a kiss to her lips. "I'll call you as soon as I get off babe. Roman, can you give her a ride home?"

Roman nodded, waving as Jay took off. He turned to where Ariane was smiling after the other man, shaking her head. "You really like him huh?" he asked, looking back towards where Jey had run.

"Yeah," she breathed, shrugging. "Well, my fun's gone. How 'bout we give these boys some guy time and get some shopping done?" She turned to Maxine, watching the other woman pull on her sun dress. "Girl, we gotta find you something less touristy. Trin's shops got some really cute dresses, besides you need some girl time." She hooked her arm with Maxine, leading her away. "Bye boys!"

Roman barely got to press a quick kiss to Maxine's lips as she was pulled away. He sighed, looking back at his two best friends once they were out of earshot. He saw the glare on their faces. "Don't even start," he growled, running a hand over his face, his hand running through his long hair before tying it back up.

Seth went to say something, stopping when he felt a vibration in his now dry pocket. He pulled his phone out, looking over the message, smiling when he realized it was from Phil. _Got the paint. You got time to help me put this tape up? I'm gonna paint this weekend after I get the furniture._

Seth tapped his reply, looking up at the two sharing a heated look. "I gotta go guys," he started, shoving his phone back into his pocket. "I gotta get a couple shots edited for work really quick. I'll call you when I get done." He pressed a quick kiss to Dean's cheek and waved at Roman before he started walking away. "Have fun!"

Dean's eyes followed his lover, his heart pounding as he face fell. "God damn it," he growled, running a hand through his damp hair. "It's just us Rome. And don't even try getting away, we need to talk."

Roman nodded, letting out a slow breath as him and Dean started back towards the boardwalk, they had a lot that they needed to talk about.

* * *

(A/N): So it wasn't too bad of a beach trip, well sort of. I know that this isn't the blow up that you guys were looking for, don't worry, it's coming. Haha. Hope you like it! Thoughts are wonderful! As always, onwards and upwards. Title is Until It Breaks by Linkin Park.

JacktheSinister_JaketheJust


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